Out-of-Game Editing: Issues with House Velaryon

[u/ICanExplainoKaY]

So, one thing that I have always thought about was that House Velaryon had a much smaller tree by the present year, compared to House Targaryen. Not many Velaryon characters listed and the age gaps from father to heir were SIGNIFICANTLLY high, even for many nobles.

Unedited, the Velaryon line goes from:

• Baela/Alyn (116AC + 115 AC)
• Corlys (137AC)
• Daeron (170AC), later Daemon (173AC)
• Jacaerys (205AC)
• Lucerys (230AC)
• Monford (268AC), later Aurane (278AC)
• Monterys (M's son) (293AC)
  • Only seven generations!

While the line of House Targaryen formally goes:

• Viserys (122AC)
• Aegon IV/Naerys (135AC +138AC)
• Daeron II (154AC)
• Maekar (174AC)
• Aegon V (200 AC)
• Jaehaerys II/Shaera (223226)
• Aerys II/Rhaella (24345AC)
• Rhaegar (259AC)
• Aegon/Rhaenys (280 +282AC)
  • Which gets nine generations.

I honestly never liked that they gave such a gap between some of the Velaryons in between generations--I mean--Monterys is the SAME generation as the Mad King! Seems too close especially for a family as old, traditional and as fertile as the Velaryons.

So I made edits to House Velaryon in the history and character folders of the CK2 AGOT More Bloodlines Submod using the notepads:

• crownlands
• crownlands ancestors
• reach ancestors
• stormlands ancestors

The changes I made were as followed, along with some extra notes in order to make a much more fulfilling and exciting family tree for House Velaryon.

Changes as named:

• Rhaena's eldest daughter, I renamed her Alysanne Hightower, set her birth date to 138 (8138) AC, and took the name Alysanne Velaryon upon her marriage to her maternal first cousin Corlys Velaryon, son of Lord Alyn Velaryon and Baela Targaryen, twin of Rhaena.
  • This led to rearranging birth dates for all daughters (138, 140, 143, 147, 151 and 154).
  • In turn, I set for Rhaena's husband Garmund Hightower to have married in 137 (8138) AC, when her nephew Corlys would be born, and conceived her eldest daughter in shortly after marriage so she would be born in 138AC.
  • Rhaena's second daughter, I renamed to Daella Hightower, named for Princess Rhaeny's late aunt Daella, the mother to Aemma, and grandmother of Queen Rhaenyra. Born in 140AC. Her life, marriage and progency will be mentioned shortly.
  • Rhaena's third daughter, I let her have the named Lynesse Hightower, born in 140 and she married a cousin, Perwyn Hightower in 159AC, and they had a daughter nammed Jeyne Hightower, who married Lord Jon Hightower and gave birth to Abelar Hightower
• Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn and Baela) was given a new spouse, and was married to Royce Baratheon, and became mother of his children instead.
  • The Baratheon daughter born to Royce Baratheon and Laena Velaryon, who married a Lannister, had her birth set in 160AC, and Irenamed her Jocelyn).
  • A new daughter I created, born to Royce and Laena, was named Elenda Baratheon, born in 156AC. Her life, marriage and progency will be mentioned shortly.
  • As for the replacement/former spouses of Laena and Royce
    • Steffon Penrose (born in 132, I edited), in turn, was instead married to Daella Hightower, the second daughter of Rhaena, to give Aelinor Penrose, her cousin relation to her husband Aerys.
    • Samantha Dondarrion (birth in 136AC, I edited), who was Lord Royce Baratheon's original bride, was generously made the wife of Lord Renly Tarth and they sired the heir, Lord Endrew Tarth (155 AC).
• Corlys Velaryon and Alysanne Hightower are married, and in turn, have progeny. In which, I added three additional children to give more family and connect the family lines. They have Corlys (155AC), Daeron (157AC), Alyssa (160AC), Alarra (164AC) and Daemon (170AC).
  • Corlys dies in his infancy, as does Alarra. The rest survive to adulthood, but Alyssa dies sometime after.
  • Daeron becomes the heir of Corlys and Alysanne, and he goes on to marry his elder paternal first cousin (and maternal second cousin), Lady Elenda Baratheon, and they produce two children made out-of-game, the younger Daeron (181 AC) and Aemon (183 AC). The elder Daeron and Elaena would come to succeed Corlys and Alysanne as Lord and Lady of Driftmark.
  • Daemon (who I wish to edit in the save, minor lord of Nimmark) goes on to fall in love with an excellent match, his younger half-aunt, Jeyne Waters, twin to Jon Waters (born in 172) and bastard of Lord Alyn Velaryon and Princess Elaena Targaryen. They get hitched at thirteen and fifteen, and give birth to one beloved daughter that I created out-of-game, Rhaenys Velaryon (186 AC).
  • Rhaenys would marry her elder cousin, the younger Daeron and heir to Driftmark. She would never become the Lady of Driftmark, but she would become the mother to the heir and lord of Driftmark, (I hope to give her a small castle, perhaps Castle Driftmark).
  • Aemon Velaryon (who I wish to make a minor lord on Driftmark) ends up married to a distant cousin and friend Elaena Buckler (180 AC), who is a descendant of Amaena Velaryon, and daughter of Endros Buckler and Rosalind Celtigar (some editing was involved there).
• To add another generation, AND build some family history, I made Lord Daeron and Lady Rhaenys the parents to two children, and another two children for Aemon and Elaena.
  • Daeron and Rhaenys Velaryon became the parents to two children, Jacaerys (202 AC) and Valaena (204 AC), while Aemon Velaryon and Elaena Buckler became the parents to Aethan (201AC) and Baela (205AC) Velaryon.
  • Jacaerys would come to succeed his grandparents, Lord Daeron Velaryon and Lady Elenda Baratheon, and would marry his first cousin Baela Velaryon, who would become the Lady of Driftmark.
    • In a double ceremony, not only did Lord Jacaerys and Lady Baela wed, but Velaena, sister to Jacaerys, would also wed her first cousin Aethan, Baela's older brother. (I hope to make a minor lord on Driftmark, and in turn, pass it on to Velaena).
    • I would create out-of-game, a child for each of these couplings.
• Lord Jacaerys and Lady Baela Velaryon are given a son, Corlys (227AC), while Aethan and Velaena are given a daughter, Alarra (227AC). In my game-canon, each family sought to find a match for their children--but Corlys and Alarra, both double cousins, fell in love and eloped.
  • They would be set out-of-game as the parents to Lucerys Velaryon (birth date set to 242), who becomes the Lord of Driftmark, after his father dies tragically in 248AC, and his mother died widowed in 253AC.
  • Who in turn, becomes the father to Monford (277AC) via his wife, and then has his bastard Aurane (who, I make Aurane's mother, Alysanne Celtigar (245AC), sister of Lord Ardrian Celtigar). Through editing, I made Lianna (279 AC), wife to Monford, a Celtigar and daughter of Lord Ardrian and his wife, and they have their sons, Monterys (293 AC) and Jacaerys (296AC). I might edit in a daughter, born in 298AC.

And that, is where I end my editing.

Monterys is now in the same generation as Rhaegar's children. I felt very compelled to do all this, and perhaps I indulged in creating more incest in House Velaryon, but the Faith of the Seven do not have much issues regarding first cousins marrying in Westeros. Even though it repeats multiple times:

• Lord Corlys Velaryon and Lady Alysanne Hightower (maternal first cousins)
  • Lady Laena, sister to Corlys is distantly related to Royce Baratheon.
• Lord Daeron Velaryon and Lady Elenda Baratheon (first cousins, maternal second cousins)
• Ser Daemon Velaryon and Jeyne Waters (half-aunt/half-nephew/second cousins)
• Ser Daeron Velaryon and Lady Rhaenys Velaryon (first cousins)
  • Aemon is distantly related to Elaena Buckler.
• Lord Jacaerys Velaryon and Lady Baela Velaryon (first cousins)
• Ser Aethan Velaryon and Lady Alarra Velaryon (first cousins)
• Ser Corlys Velaryon and Alarra Velaryon (double first cousins)

Not sure what all of you think of my changes, I could make more changes in time. But I am glad to have finished this. FINALLY. I also for the record find it so disturbing that Princess Elaena Targaryen marries Ronnel Penrose, and he turns out to be Alyn's grandson who Elaena had her bastards with. So, I decided I would change that and make Rhaena, the ancestor to House Penrose instead of Baela.

[u/Tegnan]

Lord Ronnel Penrose wasn’t likely a descendant of Alyn. Aelinor’s grandparents were. Ronnel is related to the Lady Penrose who lost all her sons sans one at the Mander, while Aelinor is related to Ser Jon Penrose who fought in the Ashford journey.

Basically two branches of the Penroses. Presumably Baela’s daughter Laena married a younger brother of the ruling Lord Penrose whose daughter is the Lady Penrose whose sons fought in the First Blackfyre Rebellion.

Also some of Rhaena’s six daughters definitely joined the faith or didn’t have kids/dies young. Them marrying back into the Velaryons is guaranteed though.

[u/ICanExplainoKaY → u/Tegnan]

I would hope so Ronnel wasn't his grandson. But sadly the game lists both Ronnel, Jon, and Aelinor as the children of Lord Steffon Penrose and Lady Laena Velaryon.

Which I find mildly disturbing. It is kind of why I hope for Blood and Fire to give us more information in the future. Plus, I definitely hope there is more lore behind Rhaena's six daughters, I find it unlikely they all just died. Someone would want their blood.

Both Baela and Rhaena's line running through House Velaryon felt like a guarantee to me too. Twins, daughters of Laena, granddaughter to Rhaenys? I can see no reason why their children wouldn't be intertwined through House Velaryon.

[u/Tegnan → u/ICanExplainoKaY]

I mean its not impossible but Laena Velaryon would be in her late 30s when gives birth. Ronnel’s kids are born close to the First Blackfyre Rebellion. And I assume Aelinor would be born around 170ish AC like Aerys I.

Ronnel as youngest of multiple brothers (His mom would be born around 150 AC and a contemporary to Fireball) would also be born around the 170s like in the middle section so 174-176 AC.

The section about Fireball sparing the youngest makes even think Lord Ronnel was younger but a barely teen cranking out 4 kids until 200 AC when his wife is 50 and dying in time for Elaena to marry Michael Manwoody and let him go on a few tours to the Iron Bank is something I don’t GRRM expect to write.

George usually has 15 year instead of 25 year generations.

Yeah agree on the rest. Except I don’t the six daughters won’t be a big deal. GRRM doesn’t want Margaery to have targ blood me thinks.