The Valyrians, also known as the Blood of the Dragon and the Blood of Old Valyria, are people and culture native to the Valyrian peninsula, on the continent of Essos. For thousands of years, their empire, known as the Valyrian Freehold, was the dominant civilization on the continent.
Valyrians are famous for having silver-gold hair and violet-purple eyes, characteristics not found amongst any other people of the world. This can vary from white to silver-gold to blond hair, and from lilac, to deep purple, and pale blue eyes. The most noble of Valyrians were considered strikingly, some say inhumanly, beautiful. The species of lemur living in the Forest of Qohor sharing similar physical features is called Little Valyrian.
Valyrians were originally a civilization of humble shepherds who discovered dragons in the Fourteen Flames, a ring of volcanoes on the Valyrian peninsula. Valyrian stories claim that dragons originated in their lands, although tales from Asshai claim the beasts were brought to Valyria from the Shadow Lands. The Valyrians tamed the dragons with magic-taught by a vanished people according to the Asshai'i-and made the beasts into devastating weapons of war. With the aid of dragons, the Valyrians established the Valyrian Freehold.