Doom of Valyria
The volcanic cataclysm that shattered the dragon empire and reshaped history.
The Doom of Valyria is the cataclysm that destroyed the Valyrian Freehold, a massive empire thousands of years old seated on a peninsula in southern Essos. This volcanic apocalypse destroyed the capital city and wiped out most dragonriders in Essos, leaving only House Targaryen on Dragonstone with their surviving beasts. It serves as the pivotal backstory for the rise of the Targaryen dynasty in Westeros.
Lore & Background
The Valyrians used slaves to mine the Fourteen Flames, a series of volcanoes rich with ore. However, the earth eventually turned against them. The Doom apparently involved a violent eruption of the Fourteen Flames. Many dragons across Essos perished, though the Targaryen dragons on Dragonstone survived. It destroyed the Freehold and made Valyria an archipelago in the newly formed Smoking Sea.
Reader's Guide
The Doom of Valyria represents the most significant historical turning point in the known world prior to Aegon's Conquest. It was a sudden volcanic catastrophe that obliterated the capital city and shattered the power structure of Essos. For fans of House of the Dragon, this event explains why dragons became rare treasures rather than common war machines. Prior to the disaster, Valyria was a hub of magic and dragonriding dominance across the continent. When the Doom came upon Valyria, House Targaryen survived along with the last of the Valyrian dragons. The Targaryens had moved to Dragonstone a century before the Doom, because of a dream of their ancestor Daenys "the Dreamer". Remnants like Valyrian steel serve as physical proof of this lost civilization's craftsmanship.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Doom of Valyria?
It was a massive volcanic eruption that destroyed the Valyrian Freehold and its capital city in Essos. This catastrophe wiped out nearly all dragons and dragonriders except for those residing on Dragonstone.
What caused the Doom of Valyria?
It apparently involved a violent eruption of the Fourteen Flames, a series of volcanoes. Their simultaneous eruption created an apocalypse that reshaped the geography and history of the known world.
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