[tWoIaF spoilers] Summerhall headcount

[Lord_Pepsi_Cupps]

Ah, yes, of course you are correct that without another source of "dragonblood" that the proportional amount would not be increased by incest, only not diluted.

We should be careful talking about "dragonblood" as if it's a characteristic passed on by genetic markers etc (like would be the case for genetic inheritance in the real world). There is magic involved, after all.

More so, there is pretty strong evidence that "dragonblood" (or at least Valyrian looks) doesn't follow our version of the rules of genetics. Or, if it does, then "dragonblood" is mega-dominant if it can produce silver-haired, purple-eyed children, in a situation where only one parent has those qualities (eg Prince Maekar's mother was Dornish).

I'm only saying this because I don't think the "dilution" logic is necessarily correct.

I think, rather than being diluted, "dragonblood" is either passed on to an offspring (in which case, that offspring is a dragonlord 100%) or it is not (in which case, that offspring is just a normal person). But it's not like you can have someone who is "a little bit dragonlord, but mostly not" - which is how it would work in the real world.

Consider Rhaegar/Dany's ancestry:

- their non-Valyrian ancestors are a Martell, a Dayne, and a Blackwood (let's leave the Velaryons aside for now)

- each of these had children who were both Valyrian-looking (Maekar; Egg; Jaeherys) and non-Valyrian looking (Baelor Breakspear; Daeron the Drunken)

- BUT if you look at the bloodlines, in each of those generations, Rheagar/Dany's ancestors were the children who looked Valyrian (Maekar, Egg, Jaehaerys)

It may well be that, contrary to our belief that Dany has only a touch of dragonblood from all the dilution, she is in fact just as dragonblooded as an old-school Valyrian.

Note: I am 100% aware that Valyrian looks and being a dragonlord are not coterminous with each other. I just think that if one trait (Targaryens' Valyrian looks) can behave so erratically, it's possible that dragonblood is the same.

[Moring the dragon]

A pair of lonley branches...

House Dayne through Daella and of course house Targaryen through Aegon

[Falcon2908]

Rhaeghar was born during the tragedy. There was smoke everywhere from the flames. His mother, Rhaella, was in tears after witnessing the deaths of loved ones and the pain from giving birth.

 

So you could say, Rhaeghar was literally, born amidst salt and smoke.