Aerys Velaryon

Aerys Velaryon 'the Valyrian Sphinx' is the son of Corlys Velaryon and Queen Visaera Targaryen, and is a Prince of the Iron Throne. Elusive and enigmatic, he serves as the Hand of the King in an unlikely position of decisive power within the Royal Court.

Appearance and Character
Aerys is a figure known for his detached benevolence. Like a priest out of cloak, where the holy word is the bloody history of man, there is a shrouded horizon within his patient stare. He looks to the dead for guidance, finding truth in the constructs of greater men come and gone. With a head full of light and a heart full of thorns, he smothers his disfigured past in favor of a brighter future.

Unlike his extended family who excel in charismatic and martial pursuits, Aerys chooses to operate from the shadows. He excels at subverting lesser men to his whims and wills. He stands tall at 6'3". His figure is imposing to those around him, yet his lack of martial prowess is obvious, but his sworn shield Anders of Driftmark always stands by his side. His own personal guard, protecting the Hand with his life.

Youth
Aerys was born in early 409 A.C. to Visaera Targaryen and Corlys Velaryon. The Queen birthed him on Dragonstone, where he remained for a time with his mother before both rejoined the court in King's Landing later that year.

With Visaera the sitting monarch, it was apparent that young Aerys would need a wetnurse. Eventually, it was decided that Perriane Darke would serve in this function - the sister of one of Corlys' companions, the current Warden of the Bastion.

The boy took to her well, though he remained a quiet, reclusive creature: it was apparent right away that Aerys was not a usual boy. He did not seem to laugh or cry as other children did, nor did he play with the same gusto of his similarly aged nieces and nephews. An egg was placed into his cradle, but it remained dormant for quite some time - until it finally birthed the dragon Wraith in 411 A.C. A sickly green color, the dragon was long and lithe and destined to be Aerys' best friend for the rest of his life.

As Aerys grew his differences became more pronounced; he took to reading swiftly, possessing a boundless appetite for knowledge. Still largely insociable, he clung to his father, who soon took him under his wing.

This carried on until a spurned Visaera found reason to send Aerys to Driftmark, silencing the bond between father and son in favor of a tutelage under Aurane Velaryon, a tutelage warmed over by Vaemond II Velaryon, who played the part of both brother and proxy conscience to the child.

Adolescence
By his return to King's Landing, Corlys had been pronounced dead due to illness. Crushing the young Velaryon. However, it hardened his heart and mind. He would bend the world to his whims from this point, his father left the world and him behind. Thus he had nothing holding him back from realizing his true potential.

Alone, Aerys spent his time with Wraith when he wasn't studying in the Red Keep's library. The boy often rode the dragon away from the capital to read in the Kingswood, leaning against a tree while the dragon searched for game in the forest itself.

He would find a father figure in Perceon Vance, the current Hand of the King. The man expanded Aerys' worldview beyond books and his dragon to the realm as a whole. Aerys showed an aptitude for these events, and Perceon would select Aerys as the crown's mediator at the Great Synod of Lannisport, participating as a peace-speaker amidst a tenuous Council; consequently, he is often referred to as one of the minds behind the sundering of the Starry Rites.

The Synod
A decisive mind, Aerys knew that the schism needed to be mended as soon as possible. Septon Bryce would be instrumental in affirming the Tenets of Exceptionalism to be accepted by the entirety of the faith once more and the destruction of the Starry Rites. Aerys' personal actions during the Synod were nothing if not upstanding, the Septon himself handled much of the persuasion that took place. The Septon approached Aerys and ensured that the Schism would be mended, on the condition that he be given a position upon the Small Council. Aerys wielded considerable influence, and while he couldn't ensure it, he promised to do all in his power to get Bryce upon the council. Bryce from that point spent the remainder of his time working between the two camps finding a midpoint between the two sides. Aerys' argument was predicated upon the Conciliator's own. The Tenets of Exceptionalism was officially part of church canon. And the fact that the Starry faithful had strayed from the ruling of the 'High Lickspittle' back in the reign of Jaehaerys I. Bryce's argument won over the synod and the schism was healed. Aerys himself spoke to King Rhaegar and recommended Septon Bryce for the position of Master of Laws, a recommendation that was approved.

It was at this time that Aerys met Anders of Driftmark, a man born upon his ancestral island. The man had been wandering the Seven Kingdoms doing good deeds for those who needed them since his knighting years prior. The man introduced himself, and swore himself to Aerys, as he had been instrumental in healing the faith, an act Anders saw as important to the health of the realm.

Ascension
Soon after Bryce's move to become the High Septon, Aerys himself was appointed to the Small Council as the Master of Laws. Replacing the man who had been so instrumental in his own reputation. He advised Aegon adequately, ensuring that the laws of both Gods and Man were obeyed in the Seven Kingdoms.

Acting as a judge during the Highgarden Tribunal, Aerys was a major force in the punishment of Lord Ormund Caswell, the man whose actions were paramount to regicide. When the traitor had been found after fleeing from royal forces, rather than ordering him to be sent to King's Landing, Aerys demanded his presence at Highgarden. The judgment was swift and harsh, Lord Ormund was sentenced to death on the charges of treason, and regicide. He mulled over feeding the man to his faithful companion, Wraith. But his better judgment knew this would be viewed as cruel and not befitting a man of his station. Thus Ormund's head was cleaved from his body on Aerys' order.

Hand of the King
In the Second Hammer Uprisings' aftermath, Rhaenyra Targaryen found reason to remove Perceon Vance from his position as Hand of the King, convincing King Aegon VII Targaryen that it was Aerys who would be best suited for the role. Given his accolades for mental and political acuity, the rationale that bound his outlook only supplemented this claim. He has stayed in this position since, proving that his mental acuity was not purely for show, the Prince could rule. And while he would remain the King that Never Would Be, he would assist in ruling the Seven Kingdoms. Showing a predisposition to assist Queen Rhaenyra in her attempts to ensure her son would be proclaimed the heir to the Seven Kingdoms.

Rumors
Due to the strange circumstances around Aerys' birth, there are rumors that there was more to it than meets the eye. Visaera's seclusion post-pregnancy had some believing the birthing had been hard on her, and she wished to hide her weakness, whilst others looked to the swiftly arranged marriage between Corlys and Visaera, wondering if perhaps it was a cover-up for an earlier affair.

Other rumours swirl as well, of course; some stating the child was birthed by blood magic, gained from the deaths of Maekar and Maegor, or that his true father was Daeron Targaryen or even Lucerys. Various names are suggested, some more shocking and vile than others. In the end, neither Visaera nor Corlys seem to view the boy as anything save kin.

Family

 * Princess Visaera Targaryen, his mother, Princess of Dragonstone b. 369 A.C.
 * m. Prince Aemon Targaryen, his uncle, Prince of Dragonstone b. 371 A.C. d. 405 A.C.
 * Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, his half-brother and true father, b.387 A.C.
 * m. Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, his half-sister, b. 387 A.C
 * Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, his niece, b. 408 A.C
 * Prince Aegon Targaryen, his nephew, b. 411 A.C.
 * Prince Aerion Targaryen, his nephew, b. 412 A.C.
 * Prince Baelor Targaryen, his nephew, b. 415 A.C.
 * Prince Daemon Targaryen, his nephew, b. 416 A.C.
 * Prince Naerys Targaryen, his niece, b. 418 A.C.
 * Prince Laenor Targaryen, his half-brother, b. 388 A.C.
 * m. Meria Martell, his sister-by-law, b. 381 A.C.
 * House Martell
 * Princess Aelinor Targaryen, his half-sister, b. 389 A.C.
 * Prince Viserys Targaryen, his half-brother, b. 402 A.C.
 * m. Ser Corlys Velaryon, his false-father, b. 382 A.C.
 * Prince Aerys Velaryon b. 409 A.C.
 * Saera Velaryon ("half-sister") b. 412
 * Maegon Velaryon ("half-brother") b. 415
 * Viserys Velaryon ("half-brother") b. 418