The Decline and Downfall of House Velaryon

[Dragonbane]

House Velaryon is easily the second house of Westeros tie to House Baratheon for prestige, wealth, and power, from Aegon's Conquest to Dance of Dragons. With the Seasnake, Driftmark touch  the epitome of his prosperity, but with Civil War... thing changed. In ASOIAF House Velaryon has basically no power. How explain this? The destruction of Spicetown in Battle of Gullet was a very hard blow for Velaryon wealthiness. Corlys, the greatest sailor of Westeros  history, former maester of the ships and Hand of the Queen, died at nine-and-seventy in 131, His likely bastard son, Alyn the Oakenfist, succeeded him. Alyn had his father talent for sailing, but not his sharp mind. Alyn was a pure adventurer. As his father, he married a Targaryen, Baela, but unlike to Rhaenys for his father, Baela was a unhappy match. Strangely, we have not any information on Velaryon after the 136 till to Aerys II reign. One century and half. Easily the biggest hole in a important House family tree. There must have a reason for this. Ok, the next part is pure tinfoil. In 137 Corlys the Younger was born, Alyn heir. Corlys is in my mind a disgrace, a drunken man, closest friend of Aegon the Unworthy and his maester of the ships. The route for Velaryon downfall is started. From Daeron II reign, Velaryon remain  close to Targaryen, but in pure terms of naval supremacy, they lose power in favor of Redwyne (most likely Arbor Fleet is first of Westeros by Aegon V time, remember that Daeron had must marry Olenna, right?) Velaryon alignment in First Blackfyre Rebellion is unclear, I assume that Lord Velaryon of time (likely Corlys'son) remain neutral. In 220 around Corwyn Velaryon married Rhae Targaryen. He serve as maester of the ships for his brother-in-law, later replaced by Runceford Redwyne. Decade later, Corwyn's grandson, Lucerys, became prince Aerys' friend. With the Targaryen overtrown by Baratheon, the Velaryon lost their last little influence at Red Keep. Your opinion?

[SeanF]

The Velaryons still virtually monopolised the position of Master of Ships, under the Targaryens, even if their wealth declined, from the time of Corlys Velaryon.

Under the Targaryens, they were tenants in chief, holding Driftmark directly from the Crown.  In all likelihood, there's immense wealth derived from all the commerce going up and down the Blackwater.  

After the overthrow of Aerys, they're knocked down the pecking order.  Now, they're vassals to Stannis, and likely have to kick up a large share of their income to him.

[Loose Bolt]

I assume that as long Iron Throne had access to dragons they could made trade deals with Free Cities that favored them and Westerosi. And anyone capturing a ship that was under protection of dragonlord would have to care about a possibility of meeting angry dragon(s).

But since dragons are gone those are not relevant anymore. Or Free Cities could collect higher customs from any Westerosi traders and even make their own versions of Jones Act. Piracy has also became safer for pirates and people who hire them. 

 

[Alester Florent]

I'm not sure that the Velaryons ever had a "downfall" but their position does seem to have diminished.

I think there were two principal factors in the decline in their power: first, the sacking of High Tide during the Dance. They can rebuild and carry on trading but the loss of capital would be extreme, a massive blow to their wealth and consequently their ability to maintain a huge fleet and retinue. And without that fleet, it becomes harder to rebuild their position, etc.

Secondly, they stopped supplying queens to the Targaryens. There are a couple of reasons for this, perhaps, but one seems to be that Daeron II deliberately stepped away from the Valyrian blood obsession of his predecessors: himself married to a Martell for political reasons, he then married all his sons to First Men or Andal houses, and the incest only resumed with his great-grandchildren at which point it was again siblings. So the Velaryons lost some of their influence at court too: by the mid-second century they were no longer the default "second family" of the realm.

[Lord of Raventree Hall]

I mean I would argue Monford Velaryon was Stannis's most influential Lord, but...admittedly the most powerful lord of...a very weak King is not much. I think it's mostly that they got there power from the Targaryens...the Targaryens were removed from power, and that means the Velaryons lose a lot of their power. Probably they...also backed the Targaryens, and we see other houses that backed the Targaryens with diminished power post-Robert's Kingship, for example the Darrys and Rygers of the Riverlands. 

[Landis]

I have a whole big theory about the Velaryons and where their wealth (and power) went, but as far as the branch that is based on Driftmark, the really big thing that I believe lost them all their gold was the collapse of the Rogare Bank in 136. The Crown and it seems many other houses had to agree to bank solely with the Rogares as part of the ransom agreement Alyn Velaryon brokered for the return of Prince Viserys in 134. Two years later, the bank goes bust, and everyone who invested appears to lose everything.

That leaves Driftmark in the position of having to rebuild its coffers while the Crown, its feudal lord, taxes the hell out of them to rebuild its own, something that gets further exacerbated by multiple Blackfyre Rebellions that, as civil wars, divide the Seven Kingdoms and force the Crown to lean even more heavily on Driftmark to finance its moves. I imagine by the time Robert won his rebellion, the Crown was severely in debt, having leeched all that it could from the Velaryons, and this created the circumstances under which he decided to rely on the Lannisters.

Conspiracy, conspiracy, conspiracy

[SaffronLady]

3 hours ago, Landis said:

Conspiracy, conspiracy, conspiracy

At least this is a good conspiracy based on the text instead of all the "Bran is the Night's King" conspiracies.