Dragonstone

This page is about the castle. For other uses, see:Dragonstone (disambiguation)

Dragonstone

• Appearance
• Location

Dragonstone,^[1][a] orDragonstone Castle,^[2][b] is the castle that stands upon theeponymous island located inBlackwater Bay. It is the ancestral seat ofHouse Targaryen and the former stronghold ofHouse Baratheon of Dragonstone, a cadet branch ofHouse Baratheon ofStorm's End. It is within theCrownlands, the capital region of theSeven Kingdoms.

At the time the series begins, it is held for KingRobert Baratheon by his younger brother, LordStannis Baratheon. The castle contains the Chamber of thePainted Table and it was built using advancedValyrian stonemasonry techniques, long since lost. Resulting in its exhibition of many exotic features unique in all of Westeros, including massive dragon-shaped gargoyles. The entire castle is dominated by dragon motifs and reliefs. Unlike the richly-decorated and extravagantRed Keep inKing's Landing, Dragonstone is sparsely decorated and has a rough, austere appearance; its function is as a military base, not as a palace.

The castle itself is very robust, due to its advanced Valyrian design, combined with its isolated location, making it an ideal redoubt and refuge, for both Houses Targaryen and Baratheon. The castle's features and its geographical position make it advantageous for its owners in wartime for defence, as it is extremely difficult to breach and can be held by a relatively small garrison against a vastly larger force.^[3]

History[]

Background[]

The island of Dragonstone became the location of the westernmost outpost of the Valyrian Freehold, the dragonlords' empire in Essos, which dominated most of the known world, a unique castle that was considered fearsome and foreign due to it's dragon statues. Although the island bore no abundance of gold or jewellery, only bearing vast hordes of dragonglass, it became the refuge of House Targaryen right before the Doom took Valyria and left them as the last surviving dragonlords. Dragonstone became the ancestral seat of the Targaryens afterwards and as Aegon proved during his conquest, the perfect staging point for an invasion.

After he had united six of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros under his rule, Dragonstone became the seat of the crown prince due to its importance in the survival of the Targaryens in the Doom.

Prior to theSack of King's Landing and Following theBattle of the Trident, QueenRhaella Targaryen and PrinceViserys Targaryen were sent to Dragonstone for their protection. Queen Rhaella perished during a stormy night giving birth toDaenerys Targaryen.

AfterKing's Landing fell and Robert Baratheon took theIron Throne, Stannis Baratheon was sent to deal with what remained of the royal family and their retainers. However, Prince Viserys and Princess Daenerys were smuggled across theNarrow Sea to theFree Cities by a loyal knight. Enraged, Robert stripped Stannis ofStorm's End and gave it to their younger brother,Renly, and gave Dragonstone to Stannis, to rein in the Targaryen loyalists there. Stannis would take this as an insult and blame this event on Robert's extreme hatred of the Targaryens. In later years, Robert tried to humor Stannis that he was actually honoring him with the Lordship of Dragonstone because under the Targaryens it was the traditional seat of the heir to the throne, but Stannis scoffed at such pleasantries.

Game of Thrones: Season 1[]

LordEddard Stark sends amessenger to Dragonstone to personally deliver a letter to Stannis, revealing the secret thatCersei Lannister's children are really bastards born from incest, and thus Stannis is the rightful heir of the dying King Robert.^[4]

Game of Thrones: Season 2[]

At the outbreak of theWar of the Five Kings, Dragonstone becomes the seat of King Stannis Baratheon. Unfortunately for Stannis, at the outset, he is only supported by the lords of the few islands inBlackwater Bay that were already sworn to him. To curry support for his weak position, Stannis converts to the religion of theLord of Light, influenced by thered priestessMelisandre. At a gathering of Stannis and his supporters on the beach, Melisandre burns the wooden statues of theSeven from Dragonstone's sept as an offering to the Lord of Light.^[5]

A short while afterwards, SerDavos Seaworth meets with the pirate-lordSalladhor Saan on the coast of Dragonstone, to hire his fleet of thirty ships assellsails to supplement Stannis's fleet.^[6]

Following his defeat at theBattle of the Blackwater, Stannis manages to retreat back to Dragonstone with what little remains of his shattered army.^[7]

Game of Thrones: Season 4[]

Stannis and a large portion (possibly even all) of his army leave Dragonstone, assisting theNight's Watch in defeating the army ofFree Folk at thebattle for the Wall.

Game of Thrones: Season 5[]

Dragonstone is said to be definitively deserted by the time of Stannis's death.

Game of Thrones: Season 7[]

Whilst discussing their enemies in theRed Keep's new map room,Cersei Lannister asks her brotherJaime where he thinks Daenerys will head first to launch her invasion. Jaime predicts she will land at Dragonstone; it is strategically located with harbors for her ships, Stannis had left it vacant, and it was where Daenerys was born. Jaime's prediction proves correct, as Daenerys returns to Dragonstone around the same time. She spends a few minutes exploring the castle's entryways, tearing down at least one banner with Stannis's heraldry, before reaching the throne room. Declining to seat herself immediately, she proceeds into the Chamber of the Painted Table and declares "Shall we begin?"^[8]

Later, Daenerys chairs a meeting with her advisersTyrion Lannister,Missandei, andVarys during a thunderstorm. She forgivesVarys for plotting against her in the past and gets him to reaffirm his allegiance. Daenerys and her entourage are later greeted byMelisandre, who tells Dany about the prophecy of thePrince That Was Promised. When Melisandre mentionsJon Snow theKing in the North, Tyrion convinces Dany that he will make a good ally. Dany accepts on the condition that Jon bends the knee like hisStark forebears. Tyrion sends a missive to Jon Snow.^[9]

Dany later chairs another meeting in the Chamber of thePainted Table withYara Greyjoy,Ellaria Sand, and LadyOlenna Tyrell. Following a heated discussion, Tyrion convinces Daenerys to send Ellaria and theSand Snakes on Yara's fleet toDorne to rally theDornishmen for a siege ofKing's Landing. Tyrion's plan is to use a combination of Dornish andHouse Tyrell forces to lay siege to King's Landing to combat the image that Daenerys is a foreign invader. He also successfully proposes sendingGrey Worm and theUnsullied to seize theLannister seat ofCasterly Rock. Olenna reluctantly agrees to commit her forces but admits privately that she is motivated by hatred and a desire for vengeance against the Lannisters. Before Grey Worm departs for Casterly Rock, he and Missandei express their love for each other and have sex.^[9]

It is possible that after Daenerys and her army march north to fight the army of the dead, the castle is either once again abandoned as it was after Stannis left, or it is manned by a smaller retinue of Stark/Targaryen forces responsible for mining the remaining dragonglass for the war effort against the white walkers.

Game of Thrones: Season 8[]

The Targaryen forces head back toDragonstone, but their fleet isambushed by theIron Fleet armed withScorpions. As a result,Rhaegal is killed and much of the Targaryen fleet wiped out.^[10] AfterMissandei's execution, Daenerys and Jon return to Dragonstone, where a force of Unsullied remains stationed during the siege of King's Landing. They leave to attack the city after Daenerys decides on her course of action.^[11]

With the position of the "Crown Prince of the Seven Kingdoms" having essentially been made obsolete following the dissolution of the hereditary monarchy, the Lordship of Dragonstone is currently unknown.

Behind the scenes[]

Dragonstone was introduced in Season 2 when Stannis Baratheon debuted in the story, but many specific interiors and exterior sets for it were only introduced when Daenerys Targaryen arrived there in Season 7. Season 2 introduced the Chamber of the Painted Table, used as the main war council room, but the large throne room set was only introduced in Season 7; also the exterior shots were greatly expanded from prior seasons.

Starting in Season 7, the interiors and carved gates were built on sound stages, but other exterior shots arefilming locations in Spain. The place where Daenerys lands on the coast is Zumaia Beach. After ascending a vertical set of stairs up the cliff, the much lower and longer set of stairs from the gates to the castle is actually an entirely real location at San Juan de Gaztelugatxe in Spain. The map room was also slightly expanded in Season 7 (so more camera could fit around it to film the larger number of major characters in it). As for the stratified rock formation design with the volcanic island's carved chambers, designed byDeborah Riley, directorJeremy Podeswa said:

"It's a very new look for the show, I think. It has a fascist architecture feel to it, in a way, but it also integrates elements of the actual location in terms of the striated rocks you see on the beach, which is married into the interiors in a beautiful way."^[12]

Riley's designs for the interior of Dragonstone also took inspiration from Louis Kahn's Salk Institute and the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, while the tiles on the floor of the throne room were influenced by the look of the Giant's Causeway.^[13]

In the books[]

In theA Song of Ice and Fire novels, Dragonstone is a volcanic island located a couple of hundred miles north-east of King's Landing. The island has a small port and a large castle on it, built by the Targaryens some 500 years ago when they settled Dragonstone as a trading outpost of the greatValyrian Freehold. When Valyria was destroyed in the cataclysm known as the Doom a century later, Dragonstone was the largest Valyrian stronghold to survive intact. The Targaryens refused to help the colony-states along the west coast ofEssos maintain Valyrian rule. They would later become theFree Cities.

The Targaryens instead waited another century, building up their strength, then invaded and subduedWesteros three hundred years ago. They built a new capital at King's Landing, while Dragonstone became the primary holding of the King's heir (who was also named "Prince of Dragonstone"). After the deposing of KingAerys II Targaryen, Robert Baratheon appointed his brother Stannis as Lord of Dragonstone until his own son,Joffrey, became old enough for the office. This has caused a rift between the brothers, as Stannis feels that he should rightfully be commanding the ancestral Baratheon castle ofStorm's End instead of their youngest brother, LordRenly Baratheon and that Robert was punishing him for failing to captureViserys andDaenerys Targaryen before they were smuggled to safety inEssos aftertheir mother's death. However, the lords ofBlackwater Bay sworn to Dragonstone had been staunch Targaryen loyalists, and Robert felt Stannis was more suited to keeping them in line.

Dragonstone is the home port of part of the Royal Fleet. In addition, Dragonstone commands the loyalty of a number of smaller houses located on surrounding islands in theNarrow Sea and on nearby parts of the coastal mainland. Dragonstone is a cold, drafty, and harsh place. Lord Stannis and his family usually prefer to spend as much time as possible at court away from the island but have recently returned to Dragonstone to attend to business there just before the start of the series.

Dragonstone is one of the strongest castles in all of the Seven Kingdoms, due to its advanced Valyrian design, using strong stonemasonry techniques now lost to the world. Its isolated island location greatly enhances its already formidable defensive prowess: a vast fleet of ships would be required simply to transport troops and large siege weapons to its location, and even then they would be forced to make a risky amphibious landing while under fire from the castle's own catapults. The castle itself is not on the sheer scale of the greatest castles of the realm such asStorm's End or theRed Keep, but both of those castles can be assaulted by land armies. The entire point of building so strong a fortress on such an isolated island was to make the perfect refuge and redoubt for greater noble Houses from elsewhere: the indigenous "lands" of Dragonstone are just a few fishing villages and could never have supported the construction of such a powerful castle on their own.

Before Stannis sails to the Wall, he appoints Ser Rolland Storm as the castellan of Dragonstone. Stannis takes most of his troops, leaving a small garrison (it is not specified of how many soldiers) at Dragonstone.

In the fourth novel, Cersei orders Paxter Redwyne to transport 2,000 soldiers to conquer Dragonstone, which Stannis has left poorly garrisoned. He intends to take the castle bloodlessly by either starving the defenders out or creating a breach in the walls through mining and forcing the defenders to surrender. However, when the ironborn start attacking settlements on the coastline of the Reach followingEuron Greyjoy's coronation asKing of the Iron Islands,Margaery andLoras Tyrell urges Cersei to send the Redwyne fleet back to the Reach, as it is the only naval force capable of fighting theIron Fleet. Cersei, unconcerned about attacks on lands controlled by the Tyrells and dismissive of the threat posed by the ironborn, insists that she will only allow the Redwyne fleet back to the Reach when Dragonstone is back in royal hands. Loras estimates it will take at least half a year to starve Dragonstone into submission and asks Cersei for the command, promising to take the castle within two weeks. Cersei agrees delightedly: knowing how rash Loras is, she expects him to get killed.Pycelle objects for the very same reason, but his protests fall on deaf ears. Upon his arrival, Loras challenges Rolland Storm to atrial by combat to end the siege: when Rolland refuses, Loras orders an all out attack.

Dragonstone is taken, but at great cost, due to Loras's rashness: about one thousand Lannister soldiers are needlessly killed, most of them loyal to Tommen, and the best and bravest knights and young lords. Loras, the first to invade the castle, is fatally injured by arrows, mace, and boiling oil. By the point the books reached, he is still lying near death. In the aftermath of the victory, Loras's men search the island but Mace reports to the Small Council they found no treasure, nor any sign of the fabled caches of dragon eggs said to be hidden there by the Targaryens.Kevan personally doesn't believe they looked very hard, but rather than start an argument between his allies and Mace's on the Small Council, concludes that if there was anything of value at Dragonstone, Stannis likely took it with him when he left the island to go north.

The fall of Dragonstone removes the last direct threat to King's Landing and causes severe damage to Stannis's cause, but it is unknown whether he is aware of this, at his current position.

The TV series has somewhat altered the design of Dragonstone. In the books, the entire castle is built of fused Valyrian stone, shaped to look like an entire nest of dragons perched on the cliffs, and decorated within with draconic imagery. The Great hall is shaped like a dragon lying on its belly, the kitchens like a curled up dragon, and many of its towers like dragons gazing over the sea or screaming at invaders. The TV-Dragonstone incorporates few of these sweeping architectural features, although it does follow the books in that there are an abundance of carved dragon images throughout the castle.

Gallery[]

Dragonstone as shown in the title sequence

Dragonstone throne

Daenerys's dragons fly above Dragonstone

Daenerys stands in the throne room of Dragonstone

Dragonstone from the sea

Gateway

Throne room

A coastal view of Dragonstone inHouse of the Dragon

Daemon Targaryen and Mysaria at Dragonstone

Rhaenyra Targaryen stands over the Painted Table

References[]

Notes[]

External links[]

• Dragonstone onA Wiki of Ice and Fire)
• Dragonstone onThe Official Guide

v • d • e
Head	Aegon Targaryen(exiled)	Heir	Vacant
Seat	Dragonstone,Dragonstone island	Region	Crownlands
Titles	Lord of Dragonstone ·King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men ·Lord of the Seven Kingdoms ·Protector of the Realm ·Prince of Dragonstone ·Queen of Meereen ·Protector of the Seven Kingdoms
Ancestors	Aenar ·Elaena ·Daenys ·Aeriana ·Aegon I, the Conqueror ·Visenya ·Rhaenys ·Aenys I ·Alyssa Velaryon ·Maegor I, the Cruel ·Rhaena ·Aegon ·Jaehaerys I, the Conciliator ·Alysanne ·Viserys ·Vaella ·Aegon ·Daenerys ·Aemon ·Baelon ·Alyssa ·Maegelle ·Vaegon ·Daella ·Saera ·Viserra ·Gaemon ·Valerion ·Gael ·Rhaenys ·Viserys I ·Daemon ·Aemma Arryn ·Rhaenyra ·Baelon ·Alicent Hightower ·Aegon II, the Usurper ·Helaena ·Aemond ·Daeron ·Aegon III ·Viserys II ·Jaehaera ·Jaehaerys ·Daeron I, the Young Dragon ·Baelor I, the Blessed ·Aegon IV, the Unworthy ·Naerys ·Aemon the Dragonknight ·Daena the Defiant ·Rhaena ·Elaena ·Daeron II, the Good ·Daenerys of Sunspear ·Myriah Martell ·Daemon I Blackfyre ·Aegor Rivers ·Shiera Seastar ·Baelor Breakspear ·Aerys I ·Rhaegel ·Maekar I ·Dyanna Dayne ·Daeron ·Aerion Brightflame ·Aegon V ·Duncan the Small ·Daeron
Deceased	Brynden Rivers ·Aerys II, the Mad ·Rhaella Targaryen ·Rhaegar Targaryen ·Elia Martell ·Rhaenys Targaryen ·Aegon Targaryen ·Lyanna Stark ·Viserys Targaryen ·Drogo ·Rhaego ·Aemon ·Daenerys Targaryen
Household	{Ser Jorah Mormont} · {Ser Barristan Selmy} · {Rakharo} ·Kovarro ·Aggo · {Qhono} · {Irri} · {Doreah} ·Jhiqui ·Malakho · {Missandei} ·Grey Worm ·Daario Naharis · {Mossador}

v • d • e
Head	Vacant(extinct)	Heir	Vacant(extinct)
Seat	Dragonstone,Dragonstone	Region	Blackwater Bay,Crownlands ·Stormlands
Titles	Lord of Dragonstone ·Lord of Storm's End ·Lord Paramount of the Stormlands ·King of the Andals and the First Men(claimant) ·Lord of the Seven Kingdoms(claimant) ·Protector of the Realm(claimant)
Deceased	King Stannis Baratheon ·Queen Selyse Florent ·Princess Shireen Baratheon ·Petyr Baratheon ·Tommard Baratheon ·Edric Baratheon
Household	{Maester Cressen} · {Lady Melisandre} · {Lord Axell Florent} ·Ser Davos Seaworth ·Ser Imry Florent · {Matthos Seaworth} ·Bert · {General}