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[h2]House Velaryon of Driftmark[/h2]

[h3][i]The Old, The True, The Brave[/i][/h3]
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[color=#0EA192]House Description:[/color]
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House Velaryon is one of the oldest and most prestigious noble houses in Westeros, with a storied history closely tied to the Targaryens and the seas. The Velaryons, like the Targaryens, are of Valyrian descent and were among the families that settled on Dragonstone before the Doom of Valyria. Unlike the dragonlords, however, the Velaryons built their legacy on the waves, becoming renowned as master sailors, shipwrights, and merchants. Their ancestral seat, Driftmark, became a center of naval power, wealth, and influence due to its strategic location. Spicetown and Hull, the predominant villages of Driftmark grew into thriving ports.

Throughout the Targaryen dynasty, House Velaryon was a staunch ally of House Targaryen, often intermarrying with the dragonriders to strengthen their ties.The Velaryons played pivotal roles during key events in Westerosi history, including the Targaryen Conquest, where their fleets were instrumental in Aegon the Conqueror's victory. Later, during the Dance of the Dragons, the Velaryons supported Rhaenyra Targaryen, with Lord Corlys Velaryon, "the Sea Snake," leading their formidable navy. This loyalty, however, did not come without cost, as the family suffered significant losses during the civil war.

By the time of the War of the Ninepenny Kings, House Velaryon had rebuilt much of its strength, though its influence had waned compared to its earlier heights. Still, they maintained a vital role in the defense of the realm, providing ships and manpower to counter the threat posed by the Blackfyre pretenders and their allies. Their naval prowess once again proved critical, as the conflict required the Crown to project power across the Stepstones. Though not as central as they were during earlier crises, the Velaryons remained a respected and capable house, their legacy as rulers of the seas enduring into the later years of the Targaryen reign.

[color=#0EA192]Recent History:[/color]

There is little doubt that the pinnacle of House Velaryon lies in the past, successive Royal fleets of the Iron Throne have suffered generational losses, first in the Dance of Dragons and then, to a lesser extent, in successive Kings' disastrous efforts to take and hold Dorne. Continued disruption in the Steptones over these years has also generally hindered the key trade lanes which fed the wealth of House Velaryon, weakening the amounts they could continue to commit to the naval strength of the Iron Throne even with their usually prime position within such.

The current lord of House Velaryon, himself a third son unlikely to ever become lord at his birth, has worked to arrest some of this decline, focusing on the House's role as a hub within the rush and a vehicle for trade, rather than seeking to desperately dominate their traditional leading role in military matters. Notably, Lord Vaeron is the first Lord of Driftmark to have never served as Master of Ships to any King. He has proven fortunate in children and misfortunate in wives, losing them as easily as he lost brothers, but while this has had a habit of isolating the house from bonds with others, it leaves plenty of hope for the future of the house.

[color=#0EA192]Family Members:[/color]
[s]Aemon Velaryon - Previous Lord of the Tides, Master of Driftmark. b 172. d 242[/s]
[s]Raelar Velaryon - Brother of Vaeron. b 189. d 209[/s]
[s]Viserys Velaryon - Brother of Vaeron. b 185. d 236[/s]
Lord Vaeron Velaryon - Lord of The Tide, Master of Driftmark. b 205.
[s]Lady Aemma Blackwood - First Wife of Vaeron. b 212. d 238.[/s]
Laelor Velaryon - Heir to Driftmark. b 230.
Lucerys Velaryon - Second Son of Vaeron. b 232. 
Daegan Velaryon - Third Son of Vaeron. b 234
[s]Lady Tavari Xho - Second Wife of Vaeron. b 220. d 250[/s]
Rhaemar Velaryon - Fourth Son of Vaeron. Knight of the Kingsguard. b 240.
Jaehna Velaryon - First Daughter of Vaeron. b 242.

[hider=Lord Vaeron Velaryon]
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Name:[/color] Lord Vaeron Velaryon
[color=#0EA192]Age:[/color] Fifty Five (205 AC)

[color=#0EA192]Appearance:[/color]

[color=#0EA192]Description & biography:[/color]

Vaeron never expected to be Lord, placed into the position by the tragic ends of his elder brothers and their general irresponsibility as to having legitimate children before their untimely demise. For most of his early life Vaeron considered the idea of becoming a Maester quite tempting, although given his eldest brother's death early in his life, taken by the Spring Sickness his father did not wish to risk losing his spare at the time.

Before Vaeron could even think to have been heir to Driftmark, he was married to Aemma Blackwood, further evidence of his father's wish to grasp political influence across the Seven Kingdoms, with King Aegon's own marriage into the house bringing influence and prestige to the Riverlanders. The political marriage became one of great affection, although as time passed both participants would have time to consider that perhaps a match without warmth and passion would have been easier. 

Vaeron's academic capability might have suggested that a life at the Citadel would have suited him well, but a key factor which suggested otherwise was his enthusiasm  for a duty his brothers had proven unskilled at. This being, the furthering of the Velaryon line. Two years after their marriage, Aemma gave birth to their first son, with two more sons following over the next few years. The true affection Vaeron and Aemma felt towards eachother was, however, the catalyst for a stormy relationship, no doubt heavily influenced by Vaeron's wandering eye and physical affections that resulted in at least a pair of known bastards during the same period. The stormy marriage reached a cataclysm during the mid 230s, with Aemma and her young sons moving to King's Landing at the court of King Aegon. The pair would reconcile when the wisdom of his father's wish for Vaeron to not join the Maesters was proven, when the second of his older brothers died in the during the Fourth Blackfyre rebellion. Vaeron's grief was certainly true, and mortality may have at least briefly taught the man the danger of losing those he loved. This reconciliation would not last, although for a different reason. In 238, two years following the death of Viserys Velaryon, Aemma Blackwood would pass away from a shivery sickness. When Vaeron's father eventually passed the Lordship of Driftmark to Vaeron, he was a man riddled out by grief.

A good head for numbers and academic pursuits, while not necessarily being lauded qualities among most lords, soon proved a great boon for the situation of House Velaryon after several generations of decline, largely at the hands of forces outside of their control. None could fault the dominant figures of the Seasnake or the Oakfist for their ambitions, but they had surely been costly in men, influence and coin. Vaeron did not seek to take a place at court as either Master of Ships or Coin as past Lords of the Tides had, but instead to focus on Driftmark itself. Spicetown may have been destroyed long ago in the Dance of Dragons, but High Tide yet remained, a hub for local trade and housing many an experienced shipwright. Vaeron took to normalising taxing and accounting, aspects which had run somewhat rampant with successive lords of Driftmark focused on external matters, as well as encouraging yet further expert shipwrights from Essos. The point of this latter issue was to adopt some of faster shipbuilding practices of the East, focusing on smaller ships. With no sign of another great war at sea, these smaller vessels were ideal for the task Vaeron had for them, that was to secure the safety of trade lanes running across the Narrow Sea and down through the Stepstones. Once the groundwork was complete, Vaeron would take to accompanying his ranging fleets, not on the grand adventures of his forebears, but instead on missions of commerce, using the prestige of his own personal involvement to ensure favourable terms.

It was on one of these voyages that Vaeron encountered Tavari Xho, a noblewoman of the Summer Isles. What had intended to be a trading mission soon drew out into an extended stay on the Islands for the better part of three years. By the end, Vaeron had already sired a bastard with the woman, and her prideful family would hardly accept the Lord of the Tides from not taking proper responsibility. The pair were married in the fashion of the Summer Isles, and then later again in the eyes of the Seven on return to Driftmark. This second marriage was less tumultuous, for neither participant expected much in the way of loyalty from the other. The bond was fruitful, with a pair of trueborn children, before tragedy would strike Driftmark again as Tavari fell from the ramparts of Driftmark in a terrible storm.

A decade on from the loss of his second wife and the Lord of Driftmark has not yet looked to remarry, although his sprawling collection of children, some now with heirs of their own, certainly leaves little fear of a secure inheritance. Many find the Lord little changed from his younger years as he seeks to maintain Driftmark's prominent role within the Kingdom, without risking the catastrophic losses of past wars.
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[hider=Laelor Velaryon, Heir to Driftmark]
[color=#0EA192]Name:[/color] Laelor Velaryon
[color=#0EA192]Age:[/color] Twenty Nine (230 AC)

[color=#0EA192]Appearance:[/color]

[color=#0EA192]Description & biography:[/color]

A robust man, with some of his mother's colouring in his hair, Laelor has long attended to court in the absence of his father, having been old enough to understand matters during his parents' tumultuous separation, he developed a liking of King's Landing that prompted his return once he reached his maturity. His father encouraged the pursuit of such an aim, for Laelor had little interest in ships and great interest in the work of Aegon V as a reformer. He often travelled with the royal family on their various endeavours across the Kingdom and fought in the King's armies for the putting down of several of the more notable rebellions. The Heir to Driftmark certainly had ambitions to be named Master of Laws in the King's service, to better support his aims, however the Tragedy at Summerhall interrupted the best laid of plans, and now a man who seeked to plan a future of peace must prepare for war.
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[hider=Lucerys Velaryon]
[color=#0EA192]Name:[/color] Lucerys Velaryon
[color=#0EA192]Age:[/color] Twenty Seven (232)

[color=#0EA192]Appearance:[/color]

[color=#0EA192]Description & biography:[/color]
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