Was Westeros lucky in a way?

[adiman83]

OK, so we know there were several noble families in the Valyrian Freehold. We also know that the Targaryens were only minor Dragonlords and far from being the most influential and powerful.

Do you think Westeros was lucky they were conquered by a minor house and not one of the major Dragonlords? We can see how powerful and unchallenged Aegon I was as a ruler but I wonder what would've happened if the most powerful Valyrian family would've escaped the Doom instead of the Targaryens.

[Chatty Duelist]

The Conquest would have allot more complete. I can see a colonization of Westeros by Valyrians.

[Night's_King]

I think the only difference would be that the war of conquest would have been over sooner.

[joluoto2]

A stronger Valyrian family would probably have gone for reuniting the Valyrian Empire in Essos instead.

[Blutraven]

A different Valyrian family might have achieved more than 1 castle, the worst city in Westeros and a road.

[Victor227]

I really do hope that one day we learn why the Valyrians never did attempt to conquer Westeros. Tyrion mentions the mystery, and it's a good one.

[adiman83]

A stronger Valyrian family would probably have gone for reuniting the Valyrian Empire in Essos instead.

I know but let's say the strongest Valyrian family survives and they decide to walk the same path as the Targaryens and conquer the Seven Kingdoms.

I really do hope that one day we learn why the Valyrians never did attempt to conquer Westeros. Tyrion mentions the mystery, and it's a good one.

Maybe a conflict with the Others in a very distant past went sideways for them so they decided to stay away from Westeros?

[XSarellaX]

How do we know the Targaryens were only minor lords in Valyria? I don't remember reading that...

What made some families more powerful than others? The size of theirs dragons? Tradition? Wealth? Depending on what exactly it was, perhaps it doesn't really make a difference,

For instance: if the Tarlys, including Randyll, decided to conquer country/city x, they wouldn't necessarily be better of than they would if they were conquered by the Tyrells/Mace. Randyll is a relatively minor lord (not a lord of a Great House), because of the size of his lands, wealth, tradition etc, but he has other qualities that makes him much more dangerous than Mace.

[Night's_King]

Don't know the line in the book, but here:

"The Targaryens were Dragonlords, but far from the most powerful."

[Noneofyourbusiness]

I think it's likely that whoever conquered the Seven Kingdoms would have been more tyrannical than Aegon I, who was a visionary type motivated by a sense of destiny, in that event. A more powerful family likely would have tried to impose Valyrian traditions and religion on the Seven Kingdoms, whereas the Targaryens were assimilated into their conquest to a large degree.

[Kienn]

I really do hope that one day we learn why the Valyrians never did attempt to conquer Westeros. Tyrion mentions the mystery, and it's a good one.

Maybe it's like Hancock - with geographic separation the first men and valyrian magics are both more powerful, close together they get useless.

[Fat Trell]

I don't think a Valyrian House's prestige meant much following the Doom. Dragons are a game breaker in-universe and having any(tamed) basically makes you the most powerful person on the planet. Anything else a Valyrian Noble would have had could be gained easily with Dragons.

A stronger house would have had deeper ties to the Free Cities(Volantis in particular) and may never have even attempted to rule Westoros, or at least have made the nation into a bigger factor in Essos. They might have been more committed to the ideal of slavery and tried to institute it following the Conquest, which would have been disastrous for all involved.

Ultimately any reasonable leader who was dead set on conquering the whole of Westoros would have had to follow a similar path Aegon took.

[Chatty Duelist]

How do we know the Targaryens were only minor lords in Valyria? I don't remember reading that...

What made some families more powerful than others? The size of theirs dragons? Tradition? Wealth? Depending on what exactly it was, perhaps it doesn't really make a difference,

For instance: if the Tarlys, including Randyll, decided to conquer country/city x, they wouldn't necessarily be better of than they would if they were conquered by the Tyrells/Mace. Randyll is a relatively minor lord (not a lord of a Great House), because of the size of his lands, wealth, tradition etc, but he has other qualities that makes him much more dangerous than Mace.

I'd wage it's number of Dragons owned, wealth, land ownership and Dragons. And Dragons. Did i mention the Dragons?

[RumHam]

Don't know the line in the book, but here:

"The Targaryens were Dragonlords, but far from the most powerful."

I don't actually think there is a line in the book, it's something Martin has mentioned.

In Valyria, there were two score rival houses that contested for power. House Targaryen, however, was not considered a powerful house.

http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Chicon_7_Reading

[Dorian Martell]

I really do hope that one day we learn why the Valyrians never did attempt to conquer Westeros. Tyrion mentions the mystery, and it's a good one.

Maybe the dragon lords had no idea how to swim or build boats and their vassals who did sailed away to Bravos

[aryagonnakill#2]

Perhaps a stronger house would have had obsidian candles and mind fucked people like the Martells into joining sooner. Look at how easily Dany is manipulated by Quaithe.

[PrimeRhaegar]

i guess it depends i mean the major families may have had more sorcerers and maybe would have had the valyrian masons with them. Alas it was considered a weakness to leave the motherland so we can see why the major families didn't. I do think the war would have been over sooner though and hopefully (doubt it though) less in fighting. Hell the targs lost 4 dragons during the bleeding years those would have been even more useful during the conquest.

[Waters Gate]

I'd wage it's number of Dragons owned, wealth, land ownership and Dragons. And Dragons. Did i mention the Dragons?

This. A small dragonlord house woul have a few famimly members, 1 or 2 dragonss, and a castle . I make this tier 3 dragonlord, tier 2 has half a dozen dragons,and a large family a dozen or more, asside from the fact that tlarger family's have bannerdragonmen, alltogether comming down to say 50 dragons for a Lord paramount equivelant in the Valyrian freehold. Lets say the freehold alltoghethr sported 300 dragons, and dancing dragoins were not to uncomman probably neither, just that with their knowledge, culture and support base losses were easily replentished.

There is no reference for these numbers, its all picked fro thin air, but its whats roughly iumplied by describing the Targaryans and their 3 dragons as smaller dragonlords.

Probably a hierarchy based on a sort of chivalery revolving riding dragons, with about every house or person that owns/can ride dragons becomming landed, but no concept of knights on horses or with heavy steel harnass. A good sword can be understood, even then if youre taking a weapon with you on a dragon is a sword the best? I'd take a polearm i think, not sure.