- In “House of the Dragon” we were introduced to Hal’s brothers, Adam and Arryn, who serve in the Velaryon fleet.
- In Fire and Blood, the brothers are pivotal characters.
- Here’s what happens to them in the books and what could potentially happen on the show.
Warning: Contains spoilers for “House of the Dragon” Season 2, Episode 2, and the book “Fire and Blood.”
This week House of the Dragon introduced another new character worth remembering.
Viewers met Arryn of Hull in episode one, when Corlys Velaryon approaches Arryn and Arryn reports on the state of the ship. Arryn also gifts Corlys with a dagger, which Corlys had ordered as a gift for his now-deceased heir, Lutharis. But there’s one other important piece of information Corlys tells us: Arryn was the one who saved Corlys’ life, and Corlys is indebted to Arryn.
In the second story, we meet Arryn’s brother Adam, a shipwright from Hull who works for the Velaryon fleet. Adam invites his brother to take advantage of Corliss’s favour and sail with him – Arryn reminds his brother that Corliss never offered.
“Don’t be stupid, Aryn. There’s a fortune to be made in the service of the Serpent. If I had the chance, I’d jump at it,” Adam told Aryn.
Arryn reminds his brother that a real war is looming, and Adam thinks Corliss owes him something (presumably for saving his life), but then cryptically adds that Corliss owes them both something.
The writers have pretty strongly hinted that these characters will return, so let’s see what happens to them in “Fire and Blood.”
May contain major spoilers for the show.
Hal’s Adam becomes a dragon rider
In the events of “Fire and Blood”, Jechalys Velaryon promises wealth to any man who obtains a dragon, and Adam succeeds in obtaining Seasmoke, the former dragon of Rhaenyra’s husband, Raynor Velaryon.
Perhaps the show will move in this direction as well. In episode 2, while Adam is picking crabs on the beach, he sees a pale dragon that resembles Seasmoke flying overhead. Pretty strong hint!
In the books, Arryn and Adam are described as having silver hair and purple eyes, with Valyrian features. Their mother was a woman named Marilda, who gave birth to Adam when she was 16 and Arryn when she was 18. Both of her sons served in her fleet.
Marilda claimed that her sons were the bastards of Raenor Velaryon; however, Mushroom, who provides one of the historical records mentioned in Fire and Blood, claims that Corlys was their father. Once Adam successfully bonded with Seasmoke, Corlys asked Rhaenyra to legitimately recognize him as Velaryon. She complied, and Adam Velaryon became the heir to Driftmark.
As a dragonrider, Adam played a key role in the war: he ultimately helped take King’s Landing for Rhaenyra and defended it while Daemon sought out Aemond and Vhagar.
Later in the war, Adam’s fate is loosely tied to that of the other dragonriders, some of whom betray Rhaenyra, and eventually Adam and Seasmoke die in battle against the dragons.
Arryn of Hal becomes heir to Corlys Velaryon
After failing to find the wild dragon, Grey Ghost, Arin unsuccessfully attempts to obtain another dragon called Sheepstealer, in the process Sheepstealer sets his cloak on fire and he is injured, but Adam and Seasmoke save him.
Corlys then claimed that both Arryn and Adam were Velaryon and therefore worthy heirs to his throne. With Corlys in seclusion in King’s Landing after Rhaenyra’s death, Arryn assumed command of the Velaryon fleet.
Ultimately, Arryn was chosen as Corlys’ heir, who after his death became the new King of the Tide and eventually married Bala Targaryen.
