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   The Blood of Old Valyria

   Origin

   The first dragonlords of Old Valyria became vampires through blood magic, forever altering their bloodline. Every descendant carrying Valyrian blood inherits this ancient condition.

   The Doom destroyed much of the knowledge surrounding its creation, leaving only fragments and family traditions.

   ---

   Is It a Curse?

   There is no agreed answer.

   Some members of House Targaryen believe the Blood is the greatest blessing ever bestowed upon mankind.

   Others—particularly those devoted to the Faith of the Seven—see it as a curse that places them forever outside the natural order.

   The debate has existed for centuries.

   ---

   Inheritance

   Vampirism is inherited through Valyrian blood.

   Every true-born child with sufficient Valyrian ancestry inherits it.

   A non-Valyrian may be turned, but doing so is incredibly dangerous. Most die during the transformation as their body rejects the Blood.

   Those who survive become vampires, though never quite the same as those born into it.

   ---

   Family Secrecy

   Every member of the royal family knows.

   It becomes impossible to hide once the hunger begins.

   Maesters serving House Targaryen also know the truth. Their silence is maintained through generations of sworn loyalty... and the understanding that betraying the family would likely result in a very unpleasant death.

   ---

   Feeding

   Blood is a vampire's only true source of nourishment.

   While vampires are capable of eating ordinary food, it provides no sustenance and tastes like little more than ash or dirt. Many still eat during feasts or ceremonies simply to maintain appearances among humans.

   Every living creature's blood possesses a unique flavour.

   No two species taste alike.

   A horse tastes nothing like a deer.

   A deer tastes nothing like a sheep.

   Likewise, human blood differs greatly from that of any animal.

   Among humans, blood type influences flavour. Vampires often develop personal preferences, with some favoring Type O, others preferring A, B, or AB. There is no universally "best" blood type—taste is entirely subjective.

   Blood also carries the taste of the body it came from.

   An experienced vampire can detect:

   • illness and disease

   • infection

   • poisoning

   • poor nutrition

   • dehydration

   • excessive alcohol consumption

   • certain medicines or herbs

   Many vampire healers are capable of diagnosing ailments simply by tasting a small amount of blood.

   Valyrian blood is unlike any other.

   It is exceptionally sweet, intensely rich, and almost intoxicating to another vampire. Its taste is so alluring that feeding upon another Valyrian carries the risk of losing control.

   One mystery has never been answered.

   No living vampire knows what dragon blood tastes like.

   Whether because no dragon has ever allowed such a thing, or because no vampire has survived attempting it, the answer has been lost to history.

   ---

   Feeding Frequency

   Young vampires require blood frequently, much like infants require constant meals.

   As vampires age, their metabolism slows.

   Ancient vampires may go months without feeding if they choose.

   However, severe injury dramatically increases hunger as the Blood expends itself repairing damage.

   ---

   Physiology

   Heartbeat

   Their hearts still beat.

   Barely.

   To a human physician, it may sound as though the vampire is moments from death.

   ---

   Body Temperature

   Cold.

   Not freezing.

   Simply colder than any healthy human.

   ---

   Breathing

   They are capable of breathing.

   It is not required for survival.

   Many unconsciously continue doing so out of habit.

   ---

   Sleep

   Sleep is optional.

   Most vampires still sleep because they enjoy it.

   Others remain awake for days or weeks without consequence.

   ---

   Reflection

   They appear perfectly normally in mirrors and still water.

   ---

   Crying

   Yes.

   They produce tears just as humans do.

   ---

   Alcohol

   Vampires become intoxicated far more quickly than humans.

   With blood serving as their primary nourishment, alcohol enters their system rapidly, especially if they have not fed recently.

   ---

   Pregnancy

   Vampires can naturally conceive children.

   Pregnancy is difficult.

   Miscarriages are significantly more common, particularly among vampire mothers carrying their first child.

   ---

   Senses

   Their senses far surpass those of humans.

   They possess exceptional hearing, sight, smell, taste, and reflexes.

   Dragons instinctively recognize those carrying the Blood.

   Whether dragons understand what vampires are remains unknown.

   ---

   Hunger

   Starvation weakens every aspect of a vampire.

   Without blood:

   • strength fades
   • healing slows
   • senses dull
   • speed decreases
   • eventually they become too weak to move

   Continued starvation ultimately results in death.

   ---

   Valyrian Blood

   Among vampires, Valyrian blood is considered the finest nourishment imaginable.

   It is sweeter.

   More potent.

   Almost addictive.

   Many families quietly establish rules forbidding unnecessary feeding upon one another.

   ---

   Blood Frenzy

   A starving vampire confronted with exposed Valyrian blood risks entering a state known among the family as blood drunkenness.

   Reason gives way to instinct.

   Control is lost.

   Many historical "accidents" within the royal family may have begun this way.

   ---

   The Call of the Blood

   Among the oldest vampire families, there exists an ancient warning:

   "Never let the Blood begin to sing."

   A well-fed vampire has complete control over their instincts. Even in the presence of another vampire, the sweetness of Valyrian blood is little more than a temptation.

   Starvation changes everything.

   As the body weakens, the scent of another vampire's blood becomes impossible to ignore. It begins as little more than an awareness—a subtle sweetness carried upon the air. Yet with every passing day without feeding, that sweetness grows stronger.

   Until the Blood begins to sing.

   No sound can be heard by human ears. Rather, it is an instinct felt only by starving vampires—an irresistible pull toward another bearer of the Blood.

   Most possess the discipline to resist.

   Days without feeding.

   Months.

   Even years.

   But decades of true starvation erode even the strongest will.

   Every heartbeat becomes thunder.

   Every pulse beneath the skin is a promise of survival.

   Should two starving vampires meet, the outcome is seldom peaceful. Many choose to flee from one another, lock themselves away, or willingly submit to restraint, knowing that once the Blood begins to sing, reason hangs by the thinnest of threads.

   If one vampire drinks too deeply from another, there may be only one left alive when the hunger is finally sated.

   ---

   Common Traditions

   Over thousands of years, vampire families developed customs to ensure the Blood never reached such a state.

   • Pregnant vampires are never permitted to go hungry. Their hunger is greater, and the Blood is believed to sing sooner while carrying a child.

   • Long sea voyages are carefully provisioned with livestock or willing donors to ensure no vampire aboard is left unfed.

   • During sieges, the royal family's blood supply is protected above all else—not from vanity, but because a starving coven confined together can become as dangerous to itself as to any enemy.

   • A vampire who feels the first stirrings of the Blood's song is expected to announce it immediately. Isolation is not considered shameful, but an act of responsibility until they can feed safely.

   • Young vampires are rarely left unattended while hungry. Their instincts are less practiced, and they are far more likely to lose control than their elders.

   • Feeding before arguments or important family councils is considered proper etiquette. No one wants to discuss succession or politics with hungry vampires.

   ---

   The Blood

   The Blood of Old Valyria is not merely inherited—it is carried by every descendant of the dragonlords.

   Yet carrying the Blood does not guarantee its awakening.

   Over countless generations, marriages beyond the old Valyrian families have weakened its expression. While the Blood remains present within every descendant of Old Valyria, it may lie dormant for an entire lifetime, never granting the gifts or burdens of vampirism.

   Those born with an awakened Blood become vampires from birth. Their bodies are forever changed, granting them eternal youth, heightened senses, unnatural strength, and an instinctive hunger for blood.

   Those whose Blood remains dormant live as ordinary humans. They age, eat, and die as any other mortal would.

   Dormancy does not mean the Blood has been lost.

   Only that it sleeps.

   For this reason, no child of Valyrian descent is ever dismissed entirely. The Blood is unpredictable, and its strength ebbs and flows through generations in ways even the greatest maesters have failed to understand.

   Among the dragonlords, it was often said:

   "The Blood remembers, even when the body does not."

   ---

   The Disease

   Despite its many gifts, the Blood is not a blessing without cost.

   It is, in every sense, a disease.

   Not one born of bacteria, poison, or plague, but an ancient affliction woven into the very blood of Old Valyria through forgotten sorcery.

   The Blood reshapes the body, granting impossible longevity and abilities no ordinary human could possess. Yet it constantly demands nourishment to sustain itself.

   Should that nourishment be denied, the Blood does not simply weaken.

   It begins to consume its host.

   The earliest symptoms are subtle.

   A lingering exhaustion.

   An unshakable thirst.

   Growing irritability.

   As starvation continues, the disease turns inward.

   Healing slows.

   Strength fades.

   The senses dull.

   Memories become unreliable.

   Thought grows clouded.

   Eventually, instinct overwhelms reason. Friends become prey. Family becomes prey. Love, duty, and honor are stripped away until only hunger remains.

   This fate is feared above all others.

   Many vampires choose death long before allowing the disease to claim their minds.

   Among the oldest families, this final stage is known simply as the Rot, though other names exist throughout the known world.

   No cure has ever been discovered.

   Only blood can delay its progress.

   Never stop it.

   ---

   Blood Awakening

   The Blood awakens at birth.

   There is no ritual, trial, or ceremony that can force a dormant Blood to awaken later in life.

   Likewise, no awakened Blood can be returned to dormancy.

   A child either enters the world as a vampire...

   or does not.

   ---

   The Doom of Valyria

   The true cause of the Doom has been debated for centuries.

   Among vampires, however, another tale survives.

   In the final years of the Freehold, the Blood spread farther than ever before. The dragonlord families grew numerous, yet the land itself could no longer sustain them. Hunger became commonplace, and the ancient disease that had once been carefully managed began consuming its hosts.

   As more vampires succumbed to starvation, the Blood began to sing across the Freehold.

   Families turned upon one another.

   Dragonlords slaughtered dragonlords.

   The order that had ruled the world for centuries collapsed from within.

   Then the Fourteen Flames erupted.

   Whether the volcanoes were the cause of the Doom or merely its final blow has never been known.

   The truth died with Old Valyria.

   ---

   Blood Sickness

   Though the Blood grants remarkable resilience, vampires are not immune to disease.

   Most common illnesses are survived with little difficulty.

   Others prove devastating.

   Diseases that attack the blood or corrupt the body are especially feared, for they interfere with the Blood's ability to sustain its host.

   Among the deadliest is the Great Spring Sickness, remembered as one of the few plagues capable of claiming vampires as readily as ordinary men.

   Even those who survive are rarely unchanged, and many never fully recover their former strength.

   For this reason, outbreaks of plague are treated with far greater caution within vampire households than among humans.

   The Blood can mend wounds.

   It cannot always overcome sickness.

   ---

   Death of the Bonded

   While vampires are capable of loving many throughout their lives, it is not uncommon for two to form an exceptionally deep bond.

   When such a bond is broken by death, the surviving vampire often struggles to endure the loss.

   Some continue living.

   Others slowly stop feeding, allowing the disease to claim them.

   A few choose a swifter end.

   Whether this is a consequence of the Blood itself or simply the weight of immortal grief has long been debated, and no answer has ever been found.

   ---

   Appearance

   For the vast majority of their lives, vampires are physically indistinguishable from ordinary humans.

   Those born of Old Valyrian blood possess the familiar traits of their lineage—silver-gold or platinum hair, pale complexions, and eyes of violet, lilac, or deep indigo—but nothing about their appearance immediately reveals the Blood that flows through their veins.

   Only another vampire, or a dragon, can sense what they truly are.

   The Blood reveals itself only when the vampire feeds or loses control of their hunger.

   As instinct awakens, subtle changes begin to overtake the body.

   Their pupils widen until little of the iris remains visible, darkening the eyes into those of a predator. The muscles of the face tense, sharpening the jaw and brow into a feral snarl. Their lips curl back instinctively as elongated fangs emerge, while every movement becomes unnaturally fluid, deliberate, and animalistic.

   The transformation is not one of beauty.

   Nor is it one of humanity.

   It is the face of an ancient predator.

   The severity of the transformation depends upon the vampire's state of mind.

   A well-fed vampire taking only what is needed from a willing donor may show little more than darkened eyes and exposed fangs.

   A starving vampire, or one overcome by rage or fear, undergoes a far more dramatic change. Their features become visibly monstrous as instinct overwhelms reason, remaining so until the Blood is finally sated or control is regained.

   Once the hunger passes, the transformation fades within moments, leaving no trace that it ever occurred.

   ---

   Young Vampires

   Young vampires possess little control over the face of the Blood.

   Strong emotions—hunger, fear, anger, excitement, or distress—can cause their fangs to emerge and their features to shift without warning. Infants and toddlers are especially prone to these involuntary transformations, making it nearly impossible to hide the truth of their nature from those entrusted with their care.

   As they grow older, vampire children are taught to master their instincts before they are taught courtly manners or swordplay. Learning to suppress the face of the Blood is considered an essential rite of passage, for self-control is the first lesson every vampire must learn.

   Among the oldest families, it is often said:

   "A child is born with fangs. An adult chooses when to bare them."

   For a vampire who cannot master their hunger is considered a danger not only to strangers, but to their own family.

   —

   Family Life

   Despite their unusual nature, vampire families are remarkably ordinary within their own households.

   Children are loved, birthdays are celebrated, and elders are respected much as they are in any other family.

   The Blood is neither hidden nor treated as shameful among those born to it. It is simply another part of life, passed from parent to child for generations beyond counting.

   Infants are not fed human blood. Instead, they are raised on fresh animal blood until they are old enough to safely consume stronger nourishment. Their first taste of human blood is considered a quiet milestone rather than a formal ceremony.

   Among the dragonlords, new life is always celebrated. Every birth is seen as proof that, despite the burden of the Blood, the family endures.

   ---

   Dragon Bonding

   The bond between dragon and rider remains unchanged.

   Dragons instinctively recognize the Blood of Old Valyria, whether awakened or dormant. To them, there is no meaningful distinction.

   For this reason, every child of Valyrian descent is afforded the opportunity to claim a dragon should the chance arise.

   Dragonkeepers often remark:

   "The dragon judges the Blood better than men ever could."

   ---

   Feeding Customs

   Among vampires, feeding is considered an intensely private act.

   While it may be performed for survival alone, the sharing of blood often carries deep personal meaning.

   Feeding may occur between family members, trusted friends, lovers, or spouses. The context determines its meaning far more than the act itself.

   To offer one's blood is considered an act of profound trust.

   To accept such an offering carries an equally great responsibility.

   Because feeding may easily become fatal if restraint is lost, vampires are taught self-control from childhood.

   To drink another dry is regarded as one of the gravest acts a vampire can commit.

   ---

   Illness

   Though the Blood grants extraordinary resilience, vampires remain vulnerable to disease.

   Most common illnesses pass quickly.

   Others prove devastating.

   Foremost among these is the Great Spring Sickness, remembered throughout history as one of the few diseases capable of killing vampires with alarming regularity.

   Unlike ordinary wounds, disease attacks the body continuously, forcing the Blood into an endless struggle that even centuries of strength cannot always overcome.

   ---

   Childbirth

   Pregnancy places extraordinary demands upon the Blood.

   Expectant mothers require frequent feeding throughout their pregnancy, their hunger increasing steadily as the child grows.

   Childbirth itself often leaves the mother dangerously weakened.

   For this reason, it is customary for the child's other parent—or another trusted family member—to have fresh blood prepared immediately following the birth. Prompt feeding is often the difference between recovery and death.

   ---

   Blood Bonds

   Every vampire possesses a scent unique to them.

   Family members learn these scents from childhood, allowing them to recognize one another even without sight.

   A mother may know her child by scent alone.

   Siblings often recognize one another from across a crowded hall.

   Those who feed from one another regularly become intimately familiar with each other's Blood, forming bonds of trust that are difficult to explain to ordinary humans.

   ---

   The Language of the Blood

   Among vampires, everyday speech has long been shaped by their nature.

   Expressions concerning hunger, self-control, and blood are woven naturally into conversation.

   Common sayings include:

   • "The Blood remembers."

   • "Do not let the Blood sing."

   • "Mind your pulse."

   • "Your Blood runs restless today."

   • "Cold hands, steady mind."

   • "A dragon always knows."

   Many such sayings are spoken without conscious thought, much as humans speak of the heart without considering the organ itself.

   —

   The Sharing of Blood

   Among vampires, the sharing of blood is governed as much by custom as by necessity.

   Though feeding is required for survival, from whom one feeds—and under what circumstances—is considered deeply personal. The act carries different meanings depending upon the relationship between those involved.

   To offer one's blood is to place complete trust in another.

   To accept such an offering is to accept responsibility for the life placed willingly in one's hands.

   Because a single lapse in self-control can prove fatal, vampires are taught from childhood that feeding is an act requiring discipline before desire.

   For this reason, feeding is almost always done in private.

   Not because it is shameful.

   But because it is intimate.

   ---

   Family

   Within the family, the sharing of blood is commonplace.

   Parents readily feed their children when needed, particularly during infancy, illness, or recovery from injury. Likewise, grown children may offer blood to an aging parent whose hunger has become difficult to satisfy.

   Between siblings, the sharing of blood is accepted without scandal, though it is generally reserved for necessity rather than convenience.

   The Blood is regarded as something the family shares together.

   ---

   Friends

   Among close friends, the offering of blood is uncommon but deeply meaningful.

   It is a gesture of complete confidence, one rarely extended lightly.

   Many lifelong friendships have been sealed through such an exchange, particularly during war, long journeys, or periods of hardship.

   To betray someone after accepting their blood is considered among the gravest violations of trust.

   ---

   Mated Pairs

   Between spouses, lovers, or bonded partners, the sharing of blood is often a natural expression of affection and devotion.

   Many couples feed exclusively from one another whenever circumstances allow, finding comfort in the familiarity of a partner's Blood.

   Among some vampire families, this practice is believed to strengthen emotional bonds, though no maester has ever proven such claims.

   It is not uncommon for bonded pairs to instinctively recognize changes in one another's scent, health, or emotional state long before words are spoken.

   ---

   Emergencies

   During times of famine, siege, or grave injury, necessity outweighs etiquette.

   Any vampire capable of safely offering blood is expected to do so if it means preserving another's life.

   Such acts carry no embarrassment or implication beyond survival itself.

   The preservation of the Bloodline has always taken precedence over personal pride.

   ---

   Blood Theft

   To take blood without consent from another vampire is considered a profound violation.

   Among the oldest dragonlord families, it is viewed as an act little different from attempted murder.

   Likewise, to drink another vampire dry—whether intentionally or through negligence—is among the greatest crimes one can commit against one's own kind.

   The Blood is precious.

   To waste it is unforgivable.

   ---

   Etiquette

   Young vampires are taught several customs from an early age:

   • Never feed while angered.

   • Never feed before asking, unless life depends upon it.

   • Never interrupt another vampire while they are feeding.

   • Never comment upon another's preferred blood unless invited.

   • Never force the sharing of blood.

   • Never allow the Blood to sing in another through your own neglect.

   • Never leave visible marks upon a donor unless they have given permission.

   • Never feed where humans may witness the face of the Blood.

   Among elder vampires, these customs are considered signs of refinement as much as survival.

   A vampire who cannot control their hunger is pitied.

   One who refuses to control it is feared

   ---

   Healing

   The Blood grants extraordinary regenerative abilities, allowing vampires to recover from injuries that would leave ordinary humans crippled or dead.

   Cuts and shallow wounds often close within hours.

   Broken bones, deep lacerations, and severe injuries typically mend over the course of days or weeks, provided the vampire is well-fed.

   Injuries that would ordinarily lead to fatal infection pose little threat, as the Blood rapidly destroys corruption before it can spread.

   The Blood cannot, however, overcome certain forms of death.

   A wound that destroys a vital organ beyond repair, complete decapitation, catastrophic damage to the brain, or any injury from which no human could reasonably survive will kill a vampire just as surely.

   The Blood can mend.

   It cannot restore life once it has truly ended.

   Starvation greatly slows the healing process. A weakened vampire may require fresh blood before regeneration can even begin.

   ---

   The Turning

   Though exceedingly rare, a human may become a vampire through the deliberate transmission of the Blood.

   The process is neither simple nor merciful.

   Over the course of roughly seven days, the recipient's body wages a desperate battle against the foreign Blood now flowing through their veins.

   The pain is immense.

   Many perish within the first few days as their bodies reject the disease outright.

   Others survive the initial stages only to succumb later, overwhelmed by fever, organ failure, or blood loss.

   The transformation may fail at any point until its completion.

   Those fortunate—or unfortunate—enough to survive awaken with the full burdens and gifts of the Blood.

   Because the risk of death is so great, the practice is exceedingly uncommon.

   Among House Targaryen, spouses and children are rarely offered the turning. To ask another to endure such suffering is considered an act requiring immense trust, and many believe it a cruelty rather than a gift.

   ---

   Blood Storage

   Fresh blood is always preferred.

   Once removed from the body, blood begins to clot and deteriorate as it would naturally.

   For this reason, vampire households rarely store large quantities.

   Instead, blood is gathered shortly before it is needed whenever possible.

   Though animal blood may be collected for infants, emergencies, or long journeys, no stored blood is considered equal to feeding directly from a living donor.

   ---

   Hunting

   Vampires obtain blood through many different means.

   Some hunt wild game.

   Others keep livestock specifically for feeding.

   Many noble households maintain willing donors among trusted servants, retainers, or companions who understand the family's true nature.

   Blood may be consumed directly from the source or collected into vessels for later use, though freshness is always preferred.

   No single method is considered superior.

   The choice is one of circumstance rather than tradition.

   ---

   Blood Quality

   The flavour of blood is influenced by countless factors beyond blood type alone.

   Experienced vampires can distinguish changes brought about by:

   • physical health

   • disease

   • pregnancy

   • diet

   • age

   • emotional state

   • fatigue

   • alcohol

   • herbs and medicines

   For this reason, pregnant women and those suffering from serious illness are traditionally avoided as donors.

   Not only does their blood possess an altered flavour, but taking blood from them may place them at unnecessary risk.

   ---

   Feeding Injuries

   When practiced responsibly, feeding leaves little lasting harm.

   A healthy human can safely provide a modest amount of blood and recover naturally with rest.

   Vampires are capable of surrendering even greater quantities before their own condition becomes dangerous, though repeated loss eventually weakens them as it would any other creature.

   The bite itself heals readily.

   Small punctures often close within several days, though they tend to heal more slowly than ordinary cuts due to the effects of vampire venom.

   When the venom is intended to kill or initiate the turning, healing does not occur.

   Instead, the disease begins its work.

   ---

   Fangs

   A vampire's fangs remain concealed until needed.

   They are hollow, retractable, and vary slightly in length from one individual to another.

   Under ordinary circumstances, the venom carried within them serves little purpose beyond easing the act of feeding.

   When deliberately invoked, however, the venom becomes the vessel through which the Blood is transmitted during the turning.

   Without the vampire's intent, no such transformation can occur.

   ---

   Hunger

   A vampire who has fed well possesses complete mastery over their instincts.

   The scent of blood is noticed, but easily ignored.

   Only prolonged starvation awakens true bloodlust.

   As hunger deepens, even the smallest traces of fresh blood—a battlefield, childbirth, a nosebleed, or an open wound—become increasingly difficult to resist.

   Paradoxically, the final stages of starvation leave many vampires too weak to hunt successfully.

   Some perish not because prey cannot be found, but because the strength required to feed has already abandoned them.

   ---

   The Laws of the Blood

   Though unwritten in many households, the oldest vampire families have long observed a common code.

   Among its most enduring principles are:

   • Never allow the Blood to rule the mind.

   • Never feed in anger.

   • The Blood of kin is offered, never taken.

   • Never reveal the Blood to those outside the family without just cause.

   • Never turn another lightly.

   • Never abandon a starving vampire.

   • Never feed where the face of the Blood may be witnessed by strangers.

   • Never take more than is willingly given.

   These customs have preserved the Blood through countless generations and are considered as important as any law of king or kingdom.

   ---

   Death

   Like their dragons, the dead of House Targaryen are committed to fire.

   Cremation is regarded as both practical and sacred.

   To return the body to flame is to release the Blood at last, ensuring it cannot linger within a corpse or become the subject of profane curiosity.

   Ash is considered a far more fitting resting place for the Blood of the Dragon than earth.

   ---

   Children

   Vampire children develop much as human children do.

   They grow at the same pace, lose their first teeth, and mature naturally until adulthood.

   Their milk teeth include tiny fangs, though these are seldom capable of piercing anything more substantial than soft skin.

   The hunger is present from birth.

   For this reason, infants are carefully fed animal blood until they are old enough for stronger nourishment.

   Though physically stronger than human children of the same age, they are no less playful, curious, or prone to mischief.

   ---

   The Maesters

   The maesters who serve House Targaryen maintain detailed records concerning the Blood, its illnesses, pregnancies, and peculiarities.

   These writings are never copied for the Citadel.

   Each generation of royal maesters passes its knowledge directly to its successor under strict oath.

   To reveal the secrets of the Blood beyond the royal household is considered the gravest breach of trust a maester can commit.

   Some knowledge is deemed too dangerous to survive outside the family that bears it..

   The Blood of the Rhoynar

   Like the dragonlords of Old Valyria, House Martell carries an ancient affliction passed from parent to child through the blood.

   Among the Martells, it is simply known as the Blood.

   To maesters, it is an inherited disease unlike any other—one that reshapes the body from birth, granting extraordinary abilities while forever separating its bearers from ordinary men. Though its origins remain lost to history, many believe it predates the Rhoynar migration to Dorne itself, carried west across the Narrow Sea with Princess Nymeria and her people.

   Unlike the Blood of Old Valyria, however, the Rhoynar Blood does not awaken as vampirism.

   It manifests as lycanthropy.

   Those born with an awakened Blood possess heightened senses, remarkable strength and endurance, accelerated healing, and the ability to assume both a partially transformed state and the form of a great wolf-like predator. Their instincts are sharpened beyond those of any ordinary human, binding them closely to family, territory, and those they consider their pack.

   Yet the Blood is not awakened in every descendant.

   Centuries of marriage beyond the ancient Rhoynar bloodlines have gradually diluted its expression. Every Martell descendant carries the Blood, but many inherit it only in a dormant state. Such individuals live outwardly human lives, never transforming, though the Blood remains a part of them all the same.

   Dormancy does not mean the Blood has been lost.

   It merely sleeps.

   The awakened Blood cannot be granted through a bite, nor awakened later in life. One is born with it, or one is not.

   Despite this, the Blood never truly disappears from the family. Even those whose Blood lies dormant may pass it to their children, where it may awaken generations later without warning.

   For this reason, no child of House Martell is ever assumed to be entirely free of the Blood.

   Among the oldest families of Dorne, it is often said:

   "The wolf sleeps lightly."

   Though the Rhoynar Blood grants many gifts, it remains, at its heart, a disease.

   It strengthens.

   It heals.

   It transforms.

   Yet it forever changes the body that bears it.

   Like all diseases, it demands balance. Those who learn to live alongside the wolf thrive. Those who lose themselves to instinct risk becoming something neither wholly human nor wholly beast.

   Whether the Blood of the Rhoynar and the Blood of Old Valyria are distant branches of the same ancient affliction, or two entirely separate mysteries born in ages long forgotten, remains one of the greatest unanswered questions among those few maesters permitted to study either.

   No surviving record has ever provided a definitive answer.

   Only that both Bloods are old.

   Far older than the kingdoms that now bear them.

   —

   ---

   The Balance

   Unlike the Blood of Old Valyria, the Blood of the Rhoynar does not demand constant nourishment.

   Instead, it demands balance.

   Every bearer of the awakened Blood lives alongside the wolf from the moment they are born. The wolf is neither separate from its host nor a second soul trapped within the body.

   It is instinct.

   Emotion.

   The untamed half of one's own nature.

   For most, the two exist in harmony.

   Reason tempers instinct.

   Instinct sharpens reason.

   Together, they form a whole.

   Yet powerful emotion can upset this balance.

   Uncontrolled rage.

   Overwhelming grief.

   Paralyzing fear.

   The desperate need to protect one's family.

   Each has the power to bring the wolf to the surface before the mind is prepared.

   Most Martells learn from childhood to recognize these feelings before they become dangerous. They are taught neither to suppress the wolf nor surrender to it, but to walk beside it.

   Among the oldest Rhoynar families, this lesson is repeated often:

   "Guide the wolf, lest it guide you."

   For should balance be lost for too long, instinct begins to cloud judgment.

   The wolf grows impatient.

   Temper shortens.

   Aggression becomes easier.

   Reason gives way to impulse.

   Though such cases are rare, those who completely surrender themselves to instinct are said to become little more than beasts wearing a human face.

   No cure has ever been found beyond restoring the balance they abandoned.

   ---

   And then I'd flesh out the other sections based on your answers.

   ---

   Lifespan

   The Blood of the Rhoynar does not grant immortality.

   Those born with an awakened Blood age as ordinary humans do throughout childhood before aging more gradually in adulthood.

   Most awakened Martells live between one hundred and one hundred and ten years, provided illness, violence, or war does not claim them first.

   Unlike the Blood of Old Valyria, the Rhoynar Blood cannot preserve youth indefinitely.

   Time remains undefeated.

   ---

   Healing

   The Blood grants remarkable regenerative abilities.

   Cuts, bruises, and broken bones heal far more quickly than they would in ordinary humans.

   Injuries likely to become infected rarely do so, as the Blood rapidly purges corruption from the body.

   Yet the Blood has limits.

   Wounds that would unquestionably kill an ordinary human—such as catastrophic trauma to the heart or brain—remain fatal to even the strongest bearer of the Blood.

   The Blood heals.

   It does not resurrect.

   ---

   Transformation

   The first transformation is remembered by every awakened Martell.

   It is slow.

   Painful.

   Unforgiving.

   Bones lengthen and reshape.

   Muscles tear only to knit themselves anew.

   The body is remade over the course of several agonizing hours.

   Few sleep through the ordeal.

   Many remember every moment.

   Once the body has accepted the wolf, future transformations become significantly easier.

   Though still painful, they typically require only several minutes.

   No Martell ever becomes accustomed to the sensation entirely.

   The wolf is not put on like a cloak.

   It is grown from within.

   ---

   Forms

   An awakened Martell possesses three natural states.

   Human.

   Entirely human in appearance.

   The Face of the Wolf.

   Golden eyes.

   Lengthened canines.

   Sharpened claws.

   Heightened senses.

   The wolf beginning to emerge.

   Wolf Form.

   Standing nearly as tall as a horse at the shoulder, the fully transformed wolf is an imposing predator.

   Though unmistakably lupine, its proportions exceed those of any natural wolf.

   Its intelligence remains entirely human, tempered only by the instincts of the beast.

   Speech becomes impossible, replaced by growls, body language, and instinctive vocalizations.

   ---

   The Wolf's Senses

   Every awakened Martell experiences the world differently.

   Sight, hearing, or smell may become their strongest sense depending upon the individual.

   All, however, possess senses far surpassing those of ordinary humans.

   They can distinguish illness by scent.

   Recognize fear before a word is spoken.

   Identify pregnancy.

   Follow familiar trails long after they have gone cold.

   Family members are recognized instinctively, often by scent alone.

   Those who have chosen lifelong mates carry a scent unlike any other, one immediately recognized by both partners.

   Even the Blood of Old Valyria possesses its own unmistakable scent.

   A vampire cannot hide from a wolf.

   Not completely.

   ---

   Diet

   Though capable of eating any ordinary food, awakened Martells possess a marked preference for meat.

   Raw flesh presents no danger to them and is often enjoyed during hunts or while transformed.

   Unlike vampires, they require no blood to survive.

   Their appetites remain entirely their own.

   ---

   Pregnancy

   Pregnancy proceeds much as it does among ordinary humans.

   Transformation, however, is strongly discouraged except in the gravest circumstances.

   The physical strain placed upon both mother and child is considered an unnecessary risk.

   The Blood also appears to increase the likelihood of multiple births.

   Twins are notably more common among awakened Martells, while triplets, though uncommon, occur with greater frequency than among ordinary humans.

   ---

   Dorne

   Unlike the dragonlords, House Martell has never hidden the Blood from its own people.

   Throughout much of Dorne, the existence of the wolf is accepted as another part of the ruling family's heritage.

   While outsiders often regard such tales as exaggeration or myth, the people of Dorne know better.

   The wolf has guarded the deserts for generations beyond memory.

   The Inheritance of the Blood

   The ancient Blood is passed from parent to child through birth.

   Whether it manifests as the Blood of Old Valyria or the Blood of the Rhoynar, the inheritance follows the same fundamental principles.

   Every child born to a bearer of the Blood inherits it.

   Whether that Blood awakens is another matter entirely.

   ---

   Awakened and Dormant Blood

   The Blood exists in one of two known states.

   Awakened

   The Blood fully manifests.

   Those born with an awakened Blood develop the traits associated with their lineage, whether vampire or wolf.

   Its gifts—and burdens—remain with them for life.

   Dormant

   The Blood remains present but does not manifest physically.

   Those born with dormant Blood live outwardly as ordinary humans.

   They neither transform nor display the supernatural abilities of an awakened bearer.

   Yet the Blood has not vanished.

   It simply sleeps.

   ---

   Dilution

   The Blood weakens as it passes through generations in which only one parent carries it.

   Each generation born outside the ancient bloodlines increases the likelihood that the Blood will remain dormant rather than awaken.

   For this reason, awakened descendants become less common over time unless the Blood is strengthened once more through descendants who also carry it.

   Dormancy should never be mistaken for absence.

   Even after generations without a single awakened child, the Blood may unexpectedly return.

   ---

   Blood Recognizes Blood

   Though dormant descendants possess no supernatural abilities, the Blood itself remains.

   Creatures closely tied to the ancient Blood can still perceive it.

   Dragons recognize even dormant descendants of Old Valyria.

   Likewise, those gifted with the senses of the Rhoynar Blood may often detect dormant members of their own lineage by scent alone.

   The Blood remembers its own.

   ---

   Inheritance Is Never Certain

   No birth can be predicted with complete certainty.

   Two awakened parents may produce a child whose Blood remains dormant.

   Likewise, two dormant descendants may unexpectedly give birth to a child whose Blood awakens in full.

   For this reason, every child born into an ancient bloodline is watched carefully during infancy.

   The Blood chooses its own hour to awaken.

   No maester has ever discovered a reliable method of predicting which children will inherit its full expression.

   ---

   The Mystery of the Blood

   Despite centuries of observation, no scholar has succeeded in fully understanding why the Blood awakens in one child and sleeps within another.

   Maesters have proposed countless explanations, from the purity of one's ancestry to the influence of magic, dragons, or even the gods themselves.

   None have been proven.

   The Blood follows laws known only to itself.

   Among both dragonlords and the descendants of the Rhoynar, an old saying endures:

   "The Blood remembers, even when we do not."

   —

   The Convergence of the Blood

   Though the Blood of Old Valyria and the Blood of the Rhoynar share many similarities, they remain fundamentally different expressions of the same ancient affliction.

   Each Blood seeks to shape the body in its own image.

   The Blood of Old Valyria remakes the body into that of the vampire.

   The Blood of the Rhoynar reshapes it into that of the wolf.

   No mortal body has ever been capable of sustaining both transformations at once.

   ---

   The Choice

   When a child is born to parents carrying different ancient Bloods, both Bloods are inherited.

   From the moment life begins, however, the two strains exist in quiet opposition.

   Neither destroys the other.

   Neither disappears.

   Instead, each seeks to become the dominant expression within the child.

   As the child develops in the womb, one Blood gradually prevails while the other recedes into dormancy.

   This process occurs naturally and without intervention.

   By the time the child is born, the outcome has already been decided.

   The awakened Blood shapes the child's body for the rest of their life.

   The other remains forever dormant.

   ---

   Awakened and Dormant

   The victorious Blood fully manifests.

   Its gifts, instincts, strengths, and burdens become part of the child's very nature.

   The defeated Blood is not lost.

   It simply sleeps.

   Though it grants no abilities to its bearer, it remains present within their lineage and may awaken unexpectedly in future generations.

   In this way, no Blood is ever truly erased.

   It merely waits.

   ---

   Among Siblings

   The Blood chooses each child individually.

   For this reason, siblings born to the same parents may awaken entirely different Bloods.

   One child may inherit the Blood of Old Valyria and become a vampire.

   Another may awaken the Blood of the Rhoynar and walk beside the wolf.

   A third may awaken neither, carrying both Bloods in their dormant forms while appearing entirely human.

   No outcome is considered unusual.

   Each child is judged only after the Blood has revealed its choice.

   ---

   The Unseen Blood

   Though dormant Blood grants no supernatural gifts, it is never without consequence.

   Dragons continue to recognize the dormant Blood of Old Valyria.

   Likewise, those gifted with the senses of the Rhoynar Blood can often detect the sleeping Blood carried by their own kin.

   The Blood remembers itself.

   Even when it lies dormant.

   ---

   The Blood Does Not Share

   Across thousands of years of recorded history, no individual has ever awakened both Bloods simultaneously.

   The ancient affliction appears incapable of sustaining two complete expressions within a single body.

   Maesters have proposed many explanations.

   Some believe the two Bloods compete for the same place within the body.

   Others argue that each rewrites the flesh so completely that no room remains for the other.

   The oldest vampire and wolf families offer a simpler explanation.

   "The Blood chooses one path."

   For them, the matter is not one of science, but of nature.

   A heart may carry many ancestors.

   The Blood chooses only one inheritance to awaken.

   ---

   The Mystery

   Whether it is truly impossible for both Bloods to awaken together remains unknown.

   No verified account has ever described such a child.

   Many dismiss the notion as impossible.

   Others quietly wonder whether such a birth would represent the perfect union of two ancient Bloods...

   Or a tragedy from which neither child nor parent would survive.

   No family has ever sought to discover the answer.

   Some mysteries are respected precisely because they remain unsolved

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