People who have watched “House of the Dragon” and “Game of Thrones” have no doubt bumped into mentions of Valyria, a famed city that was destroyed long ago and has a reputation that’s both glamorous and dark. The capital of the Valyrian Freehold commanded vast military might and more than 1,000 dragons, not to mention unmatched riches, splendor, and magical prowess. So, what could have destroyed mighty Valyria so thoroughly that people continue to be creeped out by the place long after the event itself?
The city fell to something so terrifying that some people simply call it the Doom, though it’s more commonly known as the Doom of Valyria. It was a series of natural disasters that was likely kicked off by the violent eruption of every single one of the Fourteen Flames — a range of large volcanoes in the area. Apart from the Flames all erupting simultaneously, the cataclysm involved extreme earthquakes, a tsunami, and other events. The Doom was so brutal that the entire peninsula Valyria was located on turned into a series of islands surrounded by the Smoking Sea, a disastrous body of water where ships disappear and volcanic activity continues to reign.
There are also those who attribute the wholesale destruction to magical or mystical meddling. One particular event suggests that something sinister indeed does hide in the ruins of Valyria. Well before “House of the Dragon,” Aerea Targaryen and the dragon Balerion return to Dragonstone after a lengthy period of absence they likely spent in Valyria. She soon dies a slow and horrifying death when strange creatures that have infested her body burn her from the inside. Though the manner of her death isn’t common knowledge, the event causes the Targaryens to issue a brutally enforced travel ban to the Valyrian islands.
The Doom of Valyria is a great example of what the franchise is all about
The author’s writing is known for skewing toward the darker, bloodier side of the fantasy spectrum, as the most devastating deaths in “House of the Dragon” readily demonstrate. As such, the fact that he chose to destroy the single most epic location in the franchise’s history in the most brutal way possible is perfectly on brand … as is the way that on “Game of Thrones,” the untold truth of Valyria contains a sad epilogue where greyscale-addled people lurk in the ruins.
In “Game of Thrones” Season 5, Episode 5, Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) and Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) travel through the ruins of Valyria by boat to avoid pirates, and they solemnly recount some of the lore about the Doom of Valyria before Drogon decides to add to the atmosphere with a strategically timed flyover. It’s clear that even these two comparatively level-headed characters are deeply in awe of, yet concerned about, the location — which gives the viewer some idea of how the average person in this universe must dread the ruins of Valyria.