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WhenHouse of the Dragonlifted the curtain on the heyday of House Targaryen in 2022, the Dragonkeepers of King’s Landing were among their principal servants. They awaited the arrival of Rhaenyra Targaryen. A Princess back then, Rhaenyra, got off Syrax’s saddle while the Dragonkeepers watched the dragon’s movements. The Dragonkeepers escorted Syrax into the Dragonpit, and unsurprisingly, she paid heed to their commands.
The Dragonkeepers were present atthe Dragonpit in King’s Landingand Dragonstone throughoutHouse of the Dragon- Season 1. They were aware of King Viserys' situation with his younger brother, Daemon. The Dragonkeepers taught the young princelings to control their dragons with High Valyrian commands. After Rhaenyra moved to Dragonstone, men, and women from the Order of the Dragonkeepers worked tirelessly to protect her dragons at the Dragonmont.
Who Are The Dragonkeepers InHouse of the Dragon?
As seen with numerous examples inHouse of the Dragon, the Dragonkeepers form an institutionalized monastic order of men and women, created for the protection and training ofthe Targaryen dragons. They serve the Targaryens at the Dragonpit in King’s Landing and their original seat of Dragonstone. The Dragonkeepers are under the patronage of House Targaryen, and this explains their extinction by the events ofGame of Thrones. The capital of the Seven Kingdoms, King’s Landing, and the official residence of the Targaryens lie in the Crownlands, therefore it is the Dragonkeepers' principal workplace.
The all-male Order of the Dragonkeepers, numbered 77, was established by the Wise King Jaehaerys I Targaryen in 56 AC, and they were to act as dragon guards at all times. They were needed in the lairs of the Dragonpit and the Dragonmont. The guards carried swords and sported black armor suits and helms emblazoned with dragon scales in lore and here’s whereHouse of the Dragondiffers in their interpretation.
In the show, both men and women work in the monastic-style Order of the Dragonkeepers. The guards do not wield swords but carry long wooden staffsand Dragonglass daggers. They dress in simple attire, the men’s heads are shaved, and the women wear their hair in buns to reduce the risk of fire. As explained through various scenes inHouse of the Dragon, the guards are ranked into Elder and Acolyte. The Dragonkeepersdied in the Storming of the Dragonpit. Fifty of them guarded the Dragonpit as the Shepherd’s mob tried to break in. The deaths of the dragons caused by the Dance of the Dragons and the eventual extinction of their species had a dastardly impact on the Order of the Dragonkeepers.
How Was The Order Of The Dragonkeepers Instated?
King Jaehaerys drafted 77 men, fluent in High Valyrian, to guard the Targaryen after his defiant and adventurous niece, Princess Aerea Targaryen, disappeared with Balerion the Black Dread from Dragonstone. Princess Aerea returned Balerion to her House a year later, and only the words"I never"came out of her. Princess Aerea was disheveled, malnourished, and deathly ill. She died a painful death at King’s Landing, and to discourage any such attempts bymembers of House Targaryen, Jaehaerys stepped up and created the keepers' order. Since then, Dragonkeepers have fulfilled their duties to the best of their abilities.
The Dragonkeepers thwarted the bold playfulness of young Targaryens such as Princess Viserra and the six boys she brought inside the Dragonpit. They also foiled Princess Saera Targaryen’s attempt to enter the Dragonpit and escorted her safely back to the Red Keep. Since the Dragonkeepers guarded the dragons day and night, they knew the beasts more than the Targaryens who rode them. They viewed dragons with reverence, calling them holy creatures. They nicknamedCaraxes the Blood Wyrmand discouragedViserys and Daemon’s mother, Princess Alyssa Targaryen, from claiming the sluggish Balerion. Alyssa ended up mounting the Red Queen Meleys on their advice.
What Happened Between Rhaenyra And The Dragonkeepers InHouse of the Dragon?
What Did the Dragonkeepers Say To Rhaenyra Targaryen InHouse of the Dragon?
The Dragonkeepers converse purely in High Valyrian inHouse of the Dragon, and they stand by Rhaenyra’s side during her first attempt to get Ser Steffon Darklyn to mount Seasmoke. They sing the ancient High Valyrian song,“Hāros Bartossi"to summon Seasmoke inHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 6 “Smallfolk,“and stand guard as the dragon creeps up. Most run away, while Ser Steffon is burned to a crisp. A servant from their Order slit their throat to die a less painful death. When Rhaenyra dares to repeat her dragon-claiming mission, the Dragonkeepers opt out of what rightly becomesthe Red Sowing from lore. Their head speaks to Queen Rhaenyra in High Valyrian and defies her orders to put commoners, or"Andals"before the dragons, moments before the taming.
This is an abomination. You sent an Andal before a dragon. The judgment was delivered. Now you send more? It was a blasphemy. He was no dragonlord. Neither are these.
The Acolytes follow the Elder and storm off the Dragonmont beforeVermithor the Bronze Furyburns tens of men and women inHouse of the Dragon’s penultimate episode.
The dragons are sacred; they are the last magic of Old Valyria in this sad world. They are not playthings for the games of men. Our Order will take no part in this.
House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon is HBO’s prequel series to Game of Thrones. Set hundreds of years earlier, the show follows the inner machinations and rivalries of the Targaryen royal family. The show was created by Ryan Condal and George R.R. Martin, and stars Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Rhys Ifans, and Olivia Cooke.
