A valley hidden deep within the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania. Surrounded by towering peaks and ancient forests, it was a natural sanctuary, blessed with the magical energy that the Valyrians recognized.
Eighty years had passed since the Black Sea, with its dark and treacherous waters, became the gateway to a new world. For the descendants of those who escaped the Doom, the story of their arrival is more than a tale; it is the foundation of our existence. Our ancestors: the three Valyrian Houses.
House Lhaerys, though not among the great Houses of Valyria, possessed an ancient lineage and a reputation uniquely tied to dragons and the mysterious dragon dreams. Their ancestors, with their characteristic silver hair and violet eyes, were known for an innate sensitivity to prophetic visions that manifested in their dreams—often premonitions of fire, blood, and ruin. This gift, more than wealth or military might, was what ensured the survival of House Lhaerys when the Doom consumed glorious Valyria.
Among the three Valyrian Houses, the members of House Lhaerys are those who most faithfully preserve the classical traits of ancient Valyria. Their hair is invariably of a silvery-golden hue, ranging from platinum white to a nearly metallic blonde, and their eyes are a deep violet or lilac—an unmistakable mark of their lineage. They possess a generally slender and graceful build, with fine features and an ethereal beauty that sets them apart. Their skin tends to be pale, and their movements are often described as deliberate and elegant, reflecting the nobility and introspection of their dragon-dreaming gifts. They are the living image of the Valyria that was lost.
Among the two sworn Houses that followed the Lhaerys beyond the Doom, House Vharanor has always stood out for its unparalleled mastery over fire magic. In Valyria, they were the craftsmen of flames, among the few who understood the deepest secrets of heat and combustion, using them both for war and for art. Their spells were not mere sparks, but controlled manifestations of the volcanic fury that once shaped our homeland. Although the family was highly respected, it never lost its status as a vassal House in Valyria, for they possessed no dragons.
The Vharanor share the basic Valyrian appearance—silvery-golden hair and delicate features. However, their intense connection with fire magic manifests peculiarly in their eyes. While many have the traditional violet eyes, it is notably common among the Vharanor to find eyes of an intense, ember-red hue, as if reflecting the flames they command. Moreover, heterochromia—one violet eye and one red—is a strikingly frequent trait, making each member of the family a unique visual spectacle and a living reminder of their elemental affinity.
House Qorynys was, and still is, revered for a knowledge few possessed, even in ancient Valyria: the art of forging the legendary Valyrian steel. Their smiths were not mere artisans; they were alchemists of metal, capable of infusing magic and ancestral secrets into iron, creating blades of unparalleled beauty and lethality. It was their skill that ensured some of the precious Valyrian swords were saved from destruction, and their knowledge that allowed the forging to continue, even in a strange new world.
The Qorynys, though they also display the violet eyes of their Valyrian heritage, are distinguished by a more robust and practical constitution. Unlike the typical slender Valyrian elegance, the Qorynys are notably more muscular and strong, the result of generations devoted to the forge and to working heavy metals. Their shoulders are broad, their arms powerful, and their presence is more grounded and imposing. Their hair, instead of silvery-gold, tends toward a darker, matte silver-gray. They also break the Valyrian tradition of long hair, preferring shorter, practical cuts that do not interfere with their craft. This combination of Valyrian traits with a blacksmith's build grants them a rustic beauty and an aura of unshakable strength.
And these three Houses survived only thanks to Daemyr's grandfather, Aelarion Lhaerys.
Through a series of vivid and terrifying dreams, the then patriarch Aelarion Lhaerys was warned of the impending catastrophe. Convinced of the truth of his visions, he gathered his family and the two sworn Houses and fled Valyria before the Fourteen Flames turned against their own people. The escape was desperate but guided by unwavering faith in Aelarion's dreams and the loyalty of his allies. Our dragons, the last of their kind to leave Valyria, carried the hope of an uncertain future across the Black Sea.
Upon reaching the shores of Romania, the cultural shock was immense. This new world, with its different magic and hidden wizarding communities, was an enigma. There were no maps, no legends that spoke of wands or schools like Hogwarts within their traditions. We were lost in an unknown world, with only our ancient magic and the strength of our dragons to guide us. House Lhaerys, with its gift for dreaming and foresight, became the compass in this unexplored land. Aelarion and his successors used their gifts to navigate the complexities of the European wizarding world, finding the ideal refuge in the Carpathian Mountains and establishing their settlement—New Valyria.
In the early years after the founding of New Valyria, isolation was the cornerstone of the survival of Houses Lhaerys, Vharanor, and Qorynys. The experience of the Doom had etched into their souls the need for discretion and self-sufficiency. Complex concealment spells, woven with the ancestral magic of the Lhaerys and reinforced by the fiery craft of the Vharanor, enveloped the valley, rendering it invisible to both the curious eyes of Muggles and to wizards who might wander into the Carpathians. The access routes were protected by illusions and magical barriers, ensuring that the settlement's existence remained a well-guarded secret. The priority was to rebuild, heal the wounds of loss, and adapt to an entirely new world without external interference that might jeopardize their fragile existence.
However, absolute isolation was unsustainable. The need for supplies that could not be produced internally, the search for information about the new magical world, and, at times, the urgency for specialized magical assistance forced limited contact. These encounters were rare and carefully orchestrated, usually involving the most discreet and cunning members of House Lhaerys. They ventured into remote wizarding villages or clandestine markets, trading minor Valyrian artifacts or magical services for essential goods. Through these contacts, they learned about the magical schools, the Ministries, and the intricate laws that governed European wizarding society. A few local wizards—usually hermits or merchants of rare items—became New Valyria's closest links to the outside world, maintaining discretion in exchange for goods or magical favors the Valyrians could offer. These first years were a delicate dance between the need to remain hidden and the inevitable interaction with the new land they had found.
Over time, the small village, which at first contained just over two hundred people—those of Valyrian descent—began to absorb and integrate people from nearby regions, mostly witches and wizards, but also a few Muggles. They blended into Valyrian tradition while also adapting the people of New Valyria to the customs and knowledge of their new world, which was far more advanced than the old one in both technology and learning.
As time passed, the magical power that once seemed attainable only through sacrifice began to change and grow. Each new generation was born with greater power than the last; their magical abilities seemed to be adapting to this new world.
And thus, our story begins eighty years after the arrival of these Houses in magical Europe—for the time of their ascension had come.