So Much Inspiration, So Little Time
I swear, my brain has a mind of its own!
The Man in the Pearl Mask Masterlist
Summary
The Valryan gods foresee what destruction Lucerys Velaryon’s death will bring and decide to intervene. They cannot stop the dragons from dancing but they can change the tune.
Lucerys comes back from the dead thanks to Balerion’s intervention and decides that, since he failed to help his mother’s cause as himself, he should become someone different - the masked, mute, mystery dragonrider known only as Lord Velaryon.
The gods aren’t content with intervening in just one person’s fate, however. Other gods set their eyes on Aemond and work to set him on a different path.
One day, Lucerys and Aemond’s paths will cross again and, when they do, they will be very different people.
Main Fic Chapters:
- Divine Intervention
- Spectre at the Feast
- Death Denied
- Tessarion’s Work
- Brothers Reunited
- Grounded by a Ghost
- Death to the Greens
- The Return
- Becoming Indispensable
- The First Battle
- Blood and Cheese
- The Bridge Again
- Storm’s End Again
- The Papers
- Syrax’s Best Work
- Chaos in King’s Landing
- The Morning After
- The Road to Battle
- The Miracle at Duskendale
- Facing the Music
- Many Councils
- The Night Ghouls
- The Red Fork
- A Plot is Hatched
- Madness and Mutiny
- Rhaena Rises
- The Mercies
- The War Sept
- Changing Course
- The Trap and the Lance
- Tumbleton
- The Negotiations
- A Secret Meeting
- Larys Returns
- A Debt Repaid
- Shipbreaker Bay Again
- The White Worm and the Woodswitch
- A Letter from an Enemy
- The Princess Returns
- The Chase
- Cloak of Gold and Cloak of Silver
- The Search
- The Awful Truth
- The Punishment
The Valyrian Gods
Character Profiles
Spin Offs, Deleted Scenes and More
The Blue Poppy Dreams
Vermax used the last of the blue death poppy to allow the dead to contact Aemond through dreams. This is the counsel they have to offer him.
Deleted Scenes
Stuff and nonsense too good not to write but not good enough to make the fic.
- Two Weeks After Duskendale
- Tyraxes and Vhagar
- Bywater
- Grave of the Bumblebees
- Alternative Blue Poppy Dream - Luke
How Vermax Won His Wager
Alternative title: Valyrian Gods Behaving Badly
There’s nothing more dangerous than a bored Valyrian god and Vermax is getting very bored in King’s Landing indeed. So, when his friend, Gaelithox, offers up a friendly wager, he can’t resist the opportunity to cause chaos among the greens.
Be prepared for a maiden made of clouds, a King getting turned into a horse for five minutes and all sorts of other godly hijinks.
- The Wager
- The Cloak
- The Ring
- The Sword
- The Party
- The Consequences Part 1
- The Consequences Part 2
- The Consequences Part 3
- The Consequences Part 4
- The Recompense
- The Revenge
Playlist
This is an ever-growing playlist made up of my ideas and suggestions from my lovely commenters. I’ll always open for more suggestions so please don’t hesitate to comment with yours!
- Fire and Ice by Nerdout (suggested by RoAKing0fShadows)
- Back from the Dead by Skillet (suggested by RoAKing0fShadows)
- The Dominoes Fall by Dario Marianelli
- Mirage by OneRepublic (suggested by RoAKing0fShadows)
- Firestarter by The Prodigy
- (spoilers for Chapter 19 incoming) No Bullets Fly by Sabaton
- Night Witches by Sabaton
- Molossus by James Newton Howard
- No Light, No Light by Florence and the Machine (suggested by cryptid_corvid)
Silly Tumblr posts
Just a collection of stuff and nonsense.
Details
Rating:
- Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warning:
- Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Fandoms:
- House of the Dragon (TV)
- A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Relationships:
Aemond “One-Eye” Targaryen/Lucerys Velaryon (Son of Rhaenyra) ; Cregan Stark/Jacaerys Velaryon ; Baela Targaryen/Helaena Targaryen
Characters:
Lucerys Velaryon (Son of Rhaenyra) ; Aemond “One-Eye” Targaryen ; Balerion the Valyrian God (A Song of Ice and Fire ; Syrax the Valyrian God (A Song of Ice and Fire) ; Valyrian Gods (A Song of Ice and Fire) ; Aegon II Targaryen ; Alicent Hightower ; Helaena Targaryen; Daeron Targaryen (Son of Viserys I) ; Alys Rivers of House Strong ; Jacaerys Velaryon ; Cregan Stark ; Daemon Targaryen ; Otto Hightower ; Laenor Velaryon ; Rhaenyra Targaryen ; Rhaenys Targaryen Velaryon ; Baela Targaryen ; Rhaena Targaryen (Daughter of Daemon) ; Tyraxes the God (ASoIaF) ; Vermithor | Jaehaerys I Targaryen’s Dragon ; Silverwing | Alysanne Targaryen’s Dragon ; Corlys “The Sea Snake” Velaryon ; Erryk Cargyll ; Floris Baratheon ; Borros Baratheon
Additional Tags:
Fix-It ; Secret Identity ; Ghosts ; Shakespeare References ; Slow Burn ; Eventual Romance ; Other Additional Tags to Be Added ; Body Horror ; Blood and Gore ; Vermax the Valyrian God ; Tessarion the Valyrian God ; Lucerys Velaryon (Son of Rhaenyra) Lives ; Aged-Up Character(s) ; Not Beta Read ; Nightmares ; Minor Cregan Stark/Jacaerys Velaryon ; Sabaton References ; Minor Baela Targaryen/Helaena Targaryen
Chapter 49 of ‘The Man in the Pearl Mask’ is now posted!
Chapter Title: Harrenhal’s Revenge
Chapter Summary: Ser Criston thinks he sees an opportunity to defeat Lord Velaryon and doesn’t hesitate to try it.
Is anyone else a bit disappointed that there weren’t any History and Lore videos released with Season 1 of House of the Dragon? I feel they missed an opportunity to go more in depth on the Great Council of 101 and the lead-up to it. I don’t think the History and Lore videos have touched on Jaehaerys and Alysanne’s reign too so that’s another missed opportunity.
I would have loved to see videos about:
- Baelon and Alyssa Targaryen narrated by Viserys and/or Daemon, maybe with a few fond reminiscences thrown in.
- Daella Targaryen narrated by Aemma in a sad tone and ending with something about the burden of bearing heirs.
- Aemon Targaryen narrated by Rhaenys (who can maybe tell us what happened to Jocelyn Baratheon).
- The history of House Hightower narrated by Otto or Alicent (maybe mentioning that they married into the Targaryens before but neglecting to mention that it ended badly).
- The history of House Velaryon narrated by Laena, Corlys or Laenor, maybe pointing out all the times they married into or assisted House Targaryen over the years.
- Saera Targaryen - but I’m not sure who should narrate that one. Maybe, Rhaenyra in a tone that sounds almost impressed or Alicent in a scornful tone, drawing unfavourable comparisons between her and ‘certain other princesses’…maybe, both at once, adding some comedy with their passive aggressive arguments.
- Rhaena ‘Queen of the West’ Targaryen - just give me a video on Rhaena, I don’t care who narrates it!
What do you think? What other History and Lore videos do you wish the HOTD crew had made?
Chapter 48 of ‘The Man in the Pearl Mask’ is now up!
Chapter Title: The Deep Breath
Chapter Summary: The deep breath before the plunge, the moment of calm before the storm.
“Two ways to view the world so similar at times
Two ways to rule the world to justify their crimes
By kings and queens young men are sent to die in war
Their propaganda speaks those words been heard before
Two ways to view the world brought Europe Westeros down in flames
Two ways to rule
Has man gone insane?
A few will remain
Who’ll find a way
To live one more day
Through decades long years of war
It spreads like disease,
There’s no sign of peace
Religion Succession and greed
Cause millions to bleed
Three decades long years of war
From dawn to dawn they’re fighting,
Die where they stand
The fog of war lies thick
When armies scorch the land.
When all of Europe’s Westeros’s burning
What can be done?
They’ve been to war a decade long year,
Two more to come
Long way from home
Döpas och dö I strid
Lifetime at war
Has man gone insane?
A few will remain
Who’ll find a way
To live one more day
Through decades long years of war.
It spreads like disease,
There’s no sign of peace.
Religion Succession and greed
Cause millions to bleed.
Three decades long years of war.
When they face death they’re all alike
No right or wrong, rich or poor
No matter who they served before
Good or bad, they’re all the same
Rest side by side now
Has man gone insane?
A few will remain
Who’ll find a way
To live one more day
Through decades long years of war?
It spreads like disease
There’s no sign of peace
Religion Succession and greed
Cause millions to bleed
Three decades long years of war…”
- Lyrics: A Lifetime of War by Sabaton (slightly altered - to fit House of the Dragon - by me)
I’m not trying to be deep with this. I just have this song stuck in my head and, now, so do you.
Chapter Title: Family in Name Only
Chapter Summary: Everything goes as Vermax said it would and Aemond finds freedom not to his liking.
Chapter 46 of The Man in the Pearl Mask is now up (sorry, a bit late with the announcement this time)!
Chapter Title: Silence and Defiance
Chapter Summary: Aemond suffers for his silence but salvation comes wearing a surprising face.
Lord Velaryon, drawn by @hrgves
Here he is, the main man of ’The Man in the Pearl Mask’, Lord Velaryon (a.k.a. Luke brought back from the dead by Valyrian Gods)! Like the portrait of Syrax, this was drawn by the wonderfully talented @hrgves.
And, if you think that cloak looks familiar, yes, I think Luke is subconsciously mimicking Aemond in the way he dresses as Lord Velaryon.
Chapter 45 of The Man in the Pearl Mask is now up!
Chapter Title: The Highgarden Ball
Chapter Summary: Aemond finds himself drawn into a different kind of dream than his usual nightmares by Alys Rivers.
Meleys
(from the fanfic, The Man in the Pearl Mask)
Domain: Goddess of love and fertility
Title: The Proud
Family: The second to hatch from the original eggs, mother of Vermax, former wife of Aegarax, grandmother of Syrax
Personality: Haughty, demanding, a long memory for grudges
Appearance: Burning red eyes, a fur lion-like headdress
Distinctive feature: A scorpion tail (hidden under her dress)
Animal aspect: Lioness
Inspiration: Ishtar
Vhagar
(from the fanfic, The Man in the Pearl Mask)
Domain: Goddess of war
Title: The Terrible
Family: The fourth to hatch from the original eggs, mother of Vermithor, lover of Arrax and Tyraxes (on and off)
Personality: Provocative, belligerent, reckless, greedy
Appearance: Pale skin and hair like a Targaryen, always wears expensive furs, silks and jewels, black eyes
Distinctive feature: Her body is a rotting corpse from the neck down
Animal aspect: Robin with black stripe in the middle
Inspiration: Ares
Vermax
(from the fanfic, The Man in the Pearl Mask)
Domain: God of boundaries, travel, communication, trade, language, and writing
Title: The Cunning
Family position: Son of Aegarax and Meleys, husband of Tessarion, father of Syrax
Personality: Mischievous, far-sighted, never forgets a debt
Appearance: A wide mouth and a black robe, wears gold ribbons around his arms that can make a loop to show visions of the present and future (with his wife’s help), gold eyes like two coins
Distinctive feature: Bird legs - usually covered by his robe
Animal aspect: Raven with gold bands around the legs.
Inspirations: Loki, Hermes
Tessarion
(from the fanfic, The Man in the Pearl Mask)
Domain: Goddess of music, arts, knowledge, healing, plague, prophecy, poetry, beauty, and archery
Title: The Cruel or The Unseen
Family position: Mother of Syrax and wife of Vermax - had mortal family but abandoned them for a husband who later proved faithless
Personality: Cruel, conniving, far-sighted
Appearance: Unknown - always wears a pale grey veil and matching dress, eyes are rumoured to be green
Distinctive feature: Height of nine feet
Animal aspect: Silver spider
Inspirations: Medea, Psyche
Chapter Title: The Punishment
Chapter Summary: Cole finally lets Aemond leave his room but, by the time he’s done, Aemond will wish he hadn’t.
Chapter 43 of The Man in the Pearl Mask is now up!
Chapter Title: The Awful Truth
Chapter Summary: Aemond returns to the Red Keep while someone else leaves King’s Landing in a very dramatic way.
Chapter 42 of ‘The Man in the Pearl Mask’ is now up!
Chapter Title: The Search
Chapter Summary: The search for Aemond continues and Aemond learns more about the silvercloaks.