Will the dragons accept people not of Valryian blood? Is it possible for someone like Otto Hightower or Larys to ride a dragon?
Totally indeterminate.
I don't want to spoil anything but we're about to see that somewhat tested but still largely left indeterminate over the course of this series, if they don't divulge more information through the show that is only speculated on in the books. But, they have been divulging more information and clearing up book "speculation", so perhaps we will formally get an answer to this longstanding question.
The popular theory is that yes, specific blood is necessary, and it's because dragons were created through blood magic, with Valyrians having the required blood magic bond.
BUT... Danaerys has only ~6% pure targaryen blood by the time she rides, and Jon Snow has like 3%... HOWEVER, both could also be seen as having participated in/ been the result of blood magic rituals themselves.
it's going to become a nuclear war and the dragons are the nukes . daemon has been playing the long game since the start of the series with his dragon activities on dragonstone
lol @ otto riding a dragon .. that would be something
it's going to become a nuclear war and the dragons are the nukes . daemon has been playing the long game since the start of the series with his dragon activities on dragonstone
lol @ otto riding a dragon .. that would be something
I don't want to spoil anything but we're about to see that somewhat tested but still largely left indeterminate over the course of this series, if they don't divulge more information through the show that is only speculated on in the books. But, they have been divulging more information and clearing up book "speculation", so perhaps we will formally get an answer to this longstanding question.
The popular theory is that yes, specific blood is necessary, and it's because dragons were created through blood magic, with Valyrians having the required blood magic bond.
BUT... Danaerys has only ~6% pure targaryen blood by the time she rides, and Jon Snow has like 3%... HOWEVER, both could also be seen as having participated in/ been the result of blood magic rituals themselves.
Any she couldn’t be burnt, so 6% is still pretty strong.
Will the dragons accept people not of Valryian blood? Is it possible for someone like Otto Hightower or Larys to ride a dragon?
No I dont believe so, its beyond dangerous for the average human as alluded too when they said the Targaryen dragon keepers have been killed/maimed etc just trying to watch them.
Dragons only bond with Valyarian & Targaryen blood lines it seems. There's spoilers based on the books etc but I'll leave those out for now, but the consensus is that only the decedent's of the high Valaryians are able to do so.
Last edited by Royle9; 10-26-2022 at 07:41 AM.
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IIRC the House Velaryon dragon riders are more tied to the intermingling with the Targaryen bloodlines. Which to be fair happens a lot. Also the Velaryons predate the Targs in Westeros as they were doing sea shipping etc before the Doom. But as Royle9 is right about the distinction between Dragon Lords in contrast to lower strata Valaryians.
I don't even think the Targaryens were upper class dragon lords they just lucked out when Daenys the Dreamer foresaw the Doom. Which is wild because it means someone correctly interpreted a Dragon Dream, which as we saw this season with Viserys I's dream, it's never what we expect
Yeah. Too long. Definitely hoping it's greenlit to the end now. If we are looking at 4 seasons to tell the whole story, I'm hoping it doesn't take 6 years (or more).
That's just a Dany thing, not a Targaryen. it's why in her titles she is called the unburnt
Her brother was killed by melted gold
Laena earlier this season has her own dragon kill her
when Dany's brother died by hot pot, she said something about him not being a dragon, because dragons can't be hurt by fire. I interpreted that later as heat resistance being a known thing within the family, and Viserys just proved he didn't have it.
HoTD Viserys, I recall him running his fingers across the candles in Balerion's room and not having any sort of reaction. that has to either be his fire immunity...or leprosy? but I thought the latter would have made that even more painful.
Daemon also flew unbothered through a plume of Vhagar's fire. I'm going to assume that wasn't just a lazy edit and that had some substance to it.
when Dany's brother died by hot pot, she said something about him not being a dragon, because dragons can't be hurt by fire. I interpreted that later as heat resistance being a known thing within the family, and Viserys just proved he didn't have it.
HoTD Viserys, I recall him running his fingers across the candles in Balerion's room and not having any sort of reaction. that has to either be his fire immunity...or leprosy? but I thought the latter would have made that even more painful.
Daemon also flew unbothered through a plume of Vhagar's fire. I'm going to assume that wasn't just a lazy edit and that had some substance to it.
The idea of Targ's being fireproof is...messy and sorta unclear.
My personal read early in HotD is that it was Viserys leprosy. But you're right, the fact of the matter is that within show canon it established that Dany is fireproof when they double down on that in late era Thrones. Within the ASOIF books, Dany is the unburnt in book one as a result of all the magics that were at play with Mirri Maz Duur's magics in 'saving' Drogo and thus sacrificing Rhaego (Dany's baby).
A key difference in my view is that in GoT you had multiple stories being told in multiple locations, which were all compelling. HofD has one story.
I did find it interesting however that ep 8 was focused completely on the characters and events in King's Landing, and ep 9 on the others at Dragonstone.
The show really has everything that I, personally, loved about the first few seasons of Game of Thrones. Lots of slow-build conversations and scenes that had the airtime to breathe. Less of the rush of the last few seasons of Game of Thrones, even though there are time skips in HotD, they make sense for the build up to what will be a crazy next few seasons.
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I could see them doing 1 more time skip, but not as long of one, like 1 year. After the storming of the dragon pit and subsequent happening which i won't type here.
Last edited by Monahammer; 10-27-2022 at 01:48 PM.
A key difference in my view is that in GoT you had multiple stories being told in multiple locations, which were all compelling. HofD has one story.
I did find it interesting however that ep 8 was focused completely on the characters and events in King's Landing, and ep 9 on the others at Dragonstone.
this should happen in hotd going forward also as characters get spread out and conflicts are waged in different locations . if you liked that then you'll probably enjoy future seasons