GRRM confirms that Dany has some heat immunity, but what is the point?

[Suzanna Stormborn]

Shaw: Are all the Targaryans immune to fire?

Martin: No, no Targaryans are immune to fire. The thing with Dany and the dragons, that was just a one-time magical event, very special and unique. The Targaryans can tolerate a bit more heat than most ordinary people, they like really hot baths and things like that, but that doesn't mean they're totally immune to fire, no. Dragons, on the other hand, are pretty much immune to fire.

^{He is saying that she does have some fire resistance. She is not totally immune to fire, nor is the rest of her family, but at least this finally explains why she has been basically unscathed all the time she was around Drogon's fire (THOTU and the fighting pit in DwD).}

Yes she can be burned by hot metal, but she has higher heat tolerance than all other people alive in the books today. Aegon V showed similar traits in D&E, pointed out by Dunk several times in the short stories

Aerion Brightflame drank that Wildfire for a reason. Him and some members of his family showed traits of the heat resistance, so he thought his body could handle consuming the wildfire, obviously he was wrong and stupid. But IMO he would not have just done it for no reason, he wasn't completely insane during his life, this decision was a bad one but his families history made him believe it would be possible.

My question is, what is the purpose of the high tolerance to heat?

And maybe this is a stupid question, but, How did the Targaryens actually get 'the Blood of the Dragon' Did a Targaryen mate with a dragon at some point in old Valyria??

What is the purpose of GRRM putting the slight heat resistance in the books for this one family?

Is it only because Targaryens have Dragons as pets and for them to be heat resistant is convenient?

[Mladen]

Targarens are called `blood of dragons` due to their heritage from Valyria, I doubt there`s actual blood of dragons in them. Possibly some magical ritual has been preformed thousands of years ago that included dragons, but I am highly suspicious they have some dragon blood in them.

Targareyns can tolerate heat, as Starks can tolerate cold. But, Targaryens can be burnt as Starks can freeze to death.

@Apple Martini, I believe a puppy has just died :)

[StarkDragon]

@Apple Martini, I believe a puppy has just died :)

Ha! A forum joke I can get.

Didn't Tzae make a post before about it being possible Danny's fireproof feat might have had much and more to do with Mirri Maz Dur than mere Targ blood?

[Suzanna Stormborn]

Targarens are called `blood of dragons` due to their heritage from Valyria, I doubt there`s actual blood of dragons in them. Possibly some magical ritual has been preformed thousands of years ago that included dragons, but I am highly suspicious they have some dragon blood in them.

Targareyns can tolerate heat, as Starks can tolerate cold. But, Targaryens can be burnt as Starks can freeze to death.

@Apple Martini, I believe a puppy has just died :)

What do you mean about a puppy?

Yes I agree the Starks can tolerate cold, but is there ever a mention in the books where someone says " oh that Stark is standing in the cold without shivering because they have the blood of the wolf"?

[Groat]

I think the point is to show there is magic involved with this family, similar to the Starks. All the Stark children are wargs, and are resistant somewhat to the cold. Same thing for the Targaryens, they probably don't physically have dragon's blood in their veins, its just kind of saying similar to the "wolf's blood" that Brandon senior, Lyanna, and Arya all have. At the same time though I feel like both lineages have a certain innate magical property to them.

[Suzanna Stormborn]

Ha! A forum joke I can get.

Didn't Tzae make a post before about it being possible Danny's fireproof feat might have had much and more to do with Mirri Maz Dur than mere Targ blood?

Well we can exclude the "one time magical-event" which is what GRRM calls it. if it was one-time magical event i don't think it is a good argument for her heat resistance.\ or family history.

[Mladen]

What do you mean about a puppy?

Yes I agree the Starks can tolerate cold, but is there ever a mention in the books where someone says " oh that Stark is standing in the cold without shivering because they have the blood of the wolf"?

Apple Martini changed her status this morning, look at it, and you`ll understand the joke.

In Catelyn`s POV in GOT, Ned opened a window and it was really cold, and yet he wasn`t shivering. Sansa spent hours building castle in Eyrie and she wasn`t that cold. As I said in my essays, wolves are creatures of winter and they like coldness

[E-Ro]

Ok, I am going to just say it.

TARGS. ARE. NOT. IMMUNE. TO. FIRE. OR. HEAT. OF. ANY. KIND.

[yolkboy]

Ok, I am going to just say it.

TARGS. ARE. NOT. IMMUNE. TO. FIRE. OR. HEAT. OF. ANY. KIND.

OP never suggested that. You should read the thread before capslocking.

[Suzanna Stormborn]

OP never suggested that. You should read the thread before capslocking.

Thank you, I was just quoting what Martin said, and speculating on the purposes and eventual outcomes of the 'magic' in the family.

[King of Winters]

Ok, I am going to just say it.

TARGS. ARE. NOT. IMMUNE. TO. FIRE. OR. HEAT. OF. ANY. KIND.

:agree: the only reason Dany didn't get burnt was I think because it involved some kind of blood magic and also the dragons.

[Schmedes]

Ok, I am going to just say it.

MORE. RESISTANT. DOES. NOT. MEAN. IMMUNE.

[Maester Tormund]

snip

What I really think the point here is to show Dany as special. Perhaps as AA and the dragons as her Lightbringer.

But I also think its to show that Jon is a Targ. A lot of people like to point to Jon burning his hand in the fire he uses to eliminate the wight as evidence that he is not a Targ. If Targs can't be burned and Jon was burned then R+L=/=J. However GRRM saying that they are not immune, just prefer the heat, doesn't destroy the theory of R+L=J

[StarkDragon]

The magic of her family died out with the dragons.

As the magic was the dragons, imo.

[The Drunkard]

Didn't Tzae make a post before about it being possible Danny's fireproof feat might have had much and more to do with Mirri Maz Dur than mere Targ blood?

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/66135-the-pyre-revisited/

[E-Ro]

OP never suggested that. You should read the thread before capslocking.

I suggest you reread brah. It was specifically said in bold that she has some fire resistance. Maybe you should double check before trying to correct someone?

[Suzanna Stormborn]

What I really think the point here is to show Dany as special. Perhaps as AA and the dragons as her Lightbringer.

But I also think its to show that Jon is a Targ. A lot of people like to point to Jon burning his hand in the fire he uses to eliminate the wight as evidence that he is not a Targ. If Targs can't be burned and Jon was burned then R+L=/=J. However GRRM saying that they are not immune, just prefer the heat, doesn't destroy the theory of R+L=J

of course Jon being burned is not proof of anything. No one, including me, ever said all targs are immune to fire. I am definitely not arguing that. Just saying that they have some heat-resistance. And not even all of them show the traits of heat resistance. the only mentions of it I can recall from a POV is Dany and Aegon V in D&E. Or does anyone else know of another example?

[Suzanna Stormborn]

I suggest you reread brah. It was specifically said in bold that she has some fire resistance. Maybe you should double check before trying to correct someone?

Fire-resistance is not what you said, you said TARGS ARE NOT IMMUNE TO FIRE. which we agree with. GRRM said "The Targaryans can tolerate a bit more heat than most ordinary people, they like really hot baths and things like that, but that doesn't mean they're totally immune to fire"

So he absolutely confirms they can tolerate more heat than ordinary people

[TyrionsFlagon]

I don't read into the Blood of the Dragon thing. One of my favorite conversations is when Illyrio tells Tyrion that Lords in Westeros take their sigils too seriously. I think that's basically what the Targs did.

Although, maybe it's not even a Targ thing. Maybe it's just that Viserys started it and said it a lot, so Dany thought it'd be cool to say.

As far as enjoying hot baths and being able to take the heat a little more, it's probably just because they have the old blood of Valyria. I don't really know. I don't think it'll play a big deal in the story.

[Dr. Pepper]

What is the purpose of GRRM putting the slight heat resistance in the books for this one family?

I think the purpose of Targaryens believing their propaganda is probably explained in this book: Maester Thomax’s Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons.

As far as Targaryens enjoying hot baths, they are not unique in this. They can tolerate it more than ordinary people, because they are wealthy enough to afford the luxury. But the other nobles or wealthy people in the series tolerate and enjoy hot baths just as much.

Here's a sampling of some hot bath/hot temp scenes:

AGOT

Catelyn always takes hot, steaming baths. The walls to her room were also hot to the touch.

Tyrion wants a hot bath at the Crossroads Inn.

Lord Commander Mormont takes hot baths.

Varys is pink after a bath, either indicating intense scrubbing or that the water was hot.

Sansa takes a hot bath many days after her father was killed.

ACOK

Arya and the captives were made to scrub in scalding hot water at Harrenhal.

Jaqen is in a steaming bath in the bathhouse at Harrenhal.

Sansa takes a scalding hot bath after she started menstruating.

Tyrion takes a hot bath before going to see Shae.

ASOS

Jon wishes for a hot bath when he’s with Ygritte and the wildlings.

Tyrion wants a hot bath, “the hotter, the better”.

Jaime and Brienne take steaming baths at Harrenhal.

Jon thinks of the hot pools they used to bathe in at Winterfell.

AFFC

Cersei is in a hot, steaming bath when Tommen and Jaime come to speak to her

Edmure takes a hot bath when Jaime talks to him at the siege of Riverrun.

Taena and Cersei take hot baths.

Sweetrobin takes hot baths.

ADWD

Tyrion takes a hot bath at Illyrio’s manse.

Haldon Halfmaester thinks of the pleasure of hot baths once they come out of the fog of Sorrows.

Serving women bring hot water for Jeyne Poole’s (“Arya’s”) bath.

Theon thinks of how as Reek he will have no hot baths.

Barristan requests water be heated for his bath, and notes that it’s only lukewarm when it arrives.

If taking hot baths indicates a resistance to heat, then resistance to heat is not a unique trait, especially among the elite of Westeros. Hot baths require expensive resources. Mostly only the elite can afford to take hot baths regularly enough that they develop a tolerance to heat. It’s similar to today; those who can afford the luxury of a hot bath develop a tolerance to the heat while those who cannot afford the luxury of hot baths do not build up that tolerance to hot water.

Furthermore, if Dany were resistant to heat, hot days would not make her feel uncomfortable and the tokar would not make her feel hot, two things she notes several times when she’s in Meereen. She also described the intense discomfort she felt in the searing heat of the red waste.