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ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤa guide to House Venus.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤFrom shadow, life.

Coat of armsㅤ a black venari skull encircled by a silver crescent on a storm-grey field

Seatsㅤ Storm’s End (formerly) Greenhill Keep (currently)

Headsㅤ Lord Aeryn Venus – current Lord of Greenhill. Lady Gisella Venus – heir and de facto steward of the house’s affairs

Titlesㅤ Lord, Lady

Overlordㅤ House Baratheon of Storm’s End

Cadet branchㅤ House Veyne of Little Greenhill

Ancestral weaponsㅤ Shadowfang, The Hatchstone

Religionㅤ The Faith of the Seven, The Doctrine of the Hidden Flame

House Venus is an ancient noble house of the Stormlands, descended from settlers who fled the Valyrian Freehold generations before the Doom of Valyria.

The house is best known for its historical association with the venari, enormous reptilian beasts bred through Valyrian sorcery and alchemy. Though the creatures were believed extinct for centuries, legends surrounding them remain closely tied to the identity of House Venus.

The family maintains a reputation throughout the Stormlands for secrecy, scholarship, and unusual traditions that blend Westerosi customs with remnants of ancient Valyrian ritual practice.

While the house publicly follows the Faith of the Seven, many of its oldest ceremonies continue to incorporate elements of the ancestral Doctrine of the Hidden Flame and are performed in the ritual language Kha’venar, sometimes called the Venari Tongue.

☰ Contents

1 Culture 1.1 Traits 1.2 Customs 1.2.1 Marriage traditions 1.2.2 The Oath of flame 1.2.3 Venari heir blessing 1.2.4 Burial rites 1.2.5 Ritual objects 1.3 The Creatures 2 History 2.1 Origins 2.2 Establishment in the Stormlands 2.3 Extinction of the Creatures 2.4 Aegon’s Conquest 2.5 House Venus under the Targaryens reign 3 Recent events 3.1 Robert's Rebellion 3.2 War of the Five Kings 3.3 Resurrection of the Creatures 4 Historical members 4.1 Old Valyria 4.2 Stormlands 5 Quotes

ㅤㅤ1 CULTURE 1.1 Traits Members of House Venus are often described in the Stormlands as possessing the “blood of the beast,” a phrase referring to both their Valyrian ancestry and their ancient association with the venari.

Physically, the family shows subtler Valyrian traits than those typically associated with House Targaryen. While Targaryens are known for their silver-gold hair and purple eyes, the Venuses tend toward darker variations:

ash-brown to dark silver hair

pale skin

storm-grey or pale green eyes, often flecked with gold

These features give the family an appearance often described as “storm-touched” rather than purely Valyrian.

According to the semi-legendary Codex Venari, the bloodline of House Venus possesses unusual biological traits. Some maesters claim that members of the family show resistance to certain poisons and fevers. This phenomenon is believed to result from centuries of exposure to venari blood and the alchemical substances used in their hatcheries.

Another rare phenomenon associated with the house is known as “hatching intuition.” Certain heirs experience dreams or visions believed to guide them toward viable venari eggs or forgotten hatcheries. These experiences are interpreted within the family as manifestations of the Hidden Flame, the ancestral spiritual force described in their ancient doctrine.

Because of this, knowledge, prophecy, and ritual language hold a central place in Venus culture.

1.2 Customs The cultural traditions of House Venus are deeply influenced by their ancestral religion and ritual language.

Though the family publicly worships according to the Faith of the Seven, many ceremonies performed within Greenhill Keep incorporate ancient rites from the Doctrine of the Hidden Flame. These rites are typically spoken in Kha’venar, the language preserved within the house.

Knowledge of Kha’venar is considered a mark of noble heritage. The language is traditionally taught only to members of the family and a small number of trusted retainers such as hatchery masters or archivists.

During formal occasions such as weddings, oaths of loyalty, and funerals, brief phrases in Kha’venar may be spoken alongside the traditional prayers of the Faith.

A common ceremonial phrase is:

ㅤㅤㅤ“Zha’thar venath shael-thal. Zhen kaal-vethra. Khara na, elder of flame.” ㅤㅤㅤ╱ The blood of the house returns to stone. The spirit rides the storming sky. Rise again, elder of flame.

This blending of Westerosi religion with ancient Valyrian ritual allows House Venus to maintain legitimacy among other noble families while preserving their ancestral traditions.

1.2.1 Marriage traditions Marriage ceremonies within House Venus combine the formal rites of the Faith of the Seven with private ancestral rituals unique to the family.

Like other noble houses of the Stormlands, Venus marriages are typically conducted before a septon in accordance with the Faith. The bride and groom exchange vows before the Seven and are formally joined in the traditional Westerosi manner.

However, immediately before or after the public ceremony, the family performs a private rite known as the Blood Invocation.

During this ritual, the couple stands before a small ceremonial brazier representing the Hidden Flame, the sacred symbol of the Venus doctrine. A senior member of the family—usually the Lord or Lady of Greenhill—recites a short invocation in Kha’venar while the couple joins hands.

A common phrase spoken during this moment is:

ㅤㅤㅤ“Zha’thar venath rha’kesh.” ╱ “The blood of the house awakens.”

The ritual symbolizes the merging of two bloodlines and the continuation of the ancestral flame within future generations.

In older centuries the ceremony occasionally involved a symbolic drop of blood placed into the flame, though this practice has largely disappeared in modern times due to the influence of the Faith.

1.2.2 The Oath of flame After the marriage vows are completed, the newly married couple traditionally recites a short oath together in Kha’venar.

One of the most commonly recorded versions reads:

ㅤㅤㅤ“Va rha’kesh venath. Khara zhen.” ╱ “From this union, the blood rises.”

This oath reflects the belief central to the Doctrine of the Hidden Flame that lineage carries both power and responsibility. The oath is typically spoken quietly and only among close family members, allowing the house to preserve the ritual without openly contradicting the teachings of the Faith.

1.2.3 Venari heir blessing If the marriage produces an heir, the child is sometimes presented before the sealed hatchery vaults beneath Greenhill Keep during infancy.

A brief blessing is spoken in Kha’venar invoking protection from the ancestral guides of the house. This ceremony is symbolic and does not involve the venari eggs themselves, but it reinforces the traditional belief that the Venus bloodline is tied to the awakening of the creatures.

1.2.4 Burial rites The burial customs of House Venus remain among the most distinctive in the Stormlands.

Members of the house are entombed within the Vault of Bones beneath Greenhill Keep rather than buried in the earth.

Funerals usually occur in two stages:

A septon performs the traditional prayers of the Faith of the Seven,

a Venus family member recites a quiet ancestral chant in Kha’venar; usually Lord or Lady of Greenhill Keep.

One common funerary phrase is:

ㅤㅤㅤ“Zha’thar venath shael-thal. Zhen kaal-vethra. Khara na, elder of flame.” ╱ The blood of the house returns to stone. The spirit rides the storming sky. Rise again, elder of flame.

These words are believed to guide the spirit of the deceased into the ancestral flame and toward the company of the Ancestral Guides described in the Doctrine of the Hidden Flame.

Although some septons view the custom with unease, it is generally tolerated as a form of family remembrance rather than a competing religion.

1.2.5 Ritual objects Several symbolic objects appear frequently in Venus ceremonies:

fossilized venari bone charms worn by family members

carved glyph stones inscribed with Kha’venar runes

fragments of ancient hatchery stone used in funerary rituals

ceremonial daggers used in older blood rites

These objects serve as reminders of the house’s ancient heritage and reinforce the connection between their bloodline, their ritual language, and the long-extinct venari.

1.3 The Creatures The venari (often called The Creatures) were enormous reptilian beasts bred within the Valyrian Freehold through a combination of alchemy, sorcery, and selective breeding.

Though often compared to dragons, venari were distinct creatures. They lacked wings and could not breathe fire, but possessed tremendous physical strength and heavily armored scales. House Venus became the foremost breeders of these creatures during the later centuries of Valyria.

When the Venus family fled Valyria a century before the Doom, Vaelion Venus brought with him a clutch of preserved venari eggs and several living specimens. These beasts were unleashed in the stormlands during the early wars of House Durrandon, where they earned the Venuses their first Westerosi lands. Chroniclers record that the sight of a full-grown venari charging enemy lines was enough to break entire armies.

These creatures played a significant role in the early military power of the house, serving as living weapons.

The Venuses housed their creatures in vast stone caverns beneath both Storm’s End and Greenhill, reinforced with Valyrian glyphs to contain their strength. Not every egg that hatched produced a beast suitable for riding or battle; some were left to roam the stormlands as half-wild predators. Tales of such feral venari persisted well into the reign of Jaehaerys I Targaryen, though none were confirmed after the Century of Blood.

However, venari breeding depended on rare minerals and magical conditions found primarily in Valyria. After the Doom destroyed the Freehold, these resources vanished. The species declined steadily over the following centuries. The final known venari, a massive female remembered in chronicles as Grey Death, died roughly fifty years before Aegon's Conquest.

Several eggs were preserved beneath Greenhill Keep in sealed hatchery chambers.

In the old days, it was customary to place a venari egg in the cradle of each Venus heir, a practice meant to forge a lifelong bond between child and beast. This tradition continued long after the extinction of the creatures, with dead or fossilized eggs still laid beside newborns in hopes that one might awaken. Numerous attempts to hatch the remaining eggs were made over the centuries by ambitious lords and ladies of the house—including Lady Myrha during the reign of Jaehaerys I and Lord Malior during the reign of Daeron II—but all failed.

Centuries later, during the events of the War of the Five Kings, Lady Gisella Venus succeeds where her ancestors could not. Using ancient texts and secret rites preserved in the Codex Venari, she awakens a dormant egg deep within Greenhill’s hatchery tunnels. The resulting hatchling, small but vicious, marks the first living venari seen in over three hundred years and threatens to alter the balance of power in Westeros in the same way Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons did across the Narrow Sea.

ㅤㅤ2 HISTORY A complete and detailed chronicle of House Venus is planned for Blood of Stone and Scale, a companion volume to Fire and Blood, to be released following the completion of A Song of Ice and Fire. The work is expected to cover the house’s Valyrian origins, the breeding and extinction of the legendary venari, their flight to Westeros before the Doom, and their long, turbulent survival among the stormlands’ ancient powers.

The history of House Venus spans more than four centuries and reflects the transformation of a secretive Valyrian family into a Stormlands noble house whose identity is shaped by both ancient tradition and political survival. Their story intertwines the decline of the Valyrian Freehold, the rise of the Storm Kings of House Durrandon, and the later rule of Targaryen dynasty over Westeros.

Unlike many Valyrian families who vanished during the Doom of Valyria, House Venus survived by leaving the Freehold generations before its destruction.

2.1 Origins House Venus originated among the lesser noble families of the Valyrian Freehold during its later centuries. While the great dragonlord houses dominated politics and warfare through their dragons, numerous minor noble families specialized in other forms of magical or alchemical experimentation.

The Venuses gained recognition for their mastery of venari breeding, a practice that combined natural animal husbandry with the sorcery and blood rituals common among Valyrian scholars. The venari themselves were massive reptilian creatures created through selective breeding and magical enhancement. Within the Freehold they were used primarily as guardians of hatcheries and strongholds rather than battlefield weapons.

During this period the Venuses developed two traditions that would define the house for centuries:

the Doctrine of the Hidden Flame, their private religious philosophy centered on bloodline power and ancestral guidance,

the language Kha’venar, designed for use in hatchery rites and sacred ceremonies

Unlike High Valyrian, which served as the lingua franca of the Freehold, Kha’venar was intentionally restricted to members of the family and their closest retainers. The language’s harsh phonology and commanding rhythm were believed to carry symbolic authority during rituals.

In the centuries before the Doom, many members of House Venus served as hatchery masters, beast keepers, and scholars within Valyria.

The most significant early lord was Vaelion Venus, whose actions would determine the future survival of the house.

2.2 Establishment in the Stormlands Roughly one hundred and twenty years before the Doom, Lord Vaelion Venus began to fear that the Valyrian Freehold was approaching instability. Historical records speak of increased volcanic activity in the Fourteen Flames, as well as political rivalries among dragonlord families that threatened civil conflict.

Vaelion sold much of the house’s property in Valyria and assembled an expedition westward across the Narrow Sea. The fleet included members of the Venus household, servants, scholars, and several living venari along with a number of eggs.

After months of travel the expedition reached the coast of the Stormlands, then ruled by the Storm Kings of House Durrandon.

The Storm Kings initially regarded the newcomers with suspicion. However, Vaelion demonstrated the strength of the venari beasts, convincing the king that such creatures could serve as powerful assets in regional warfare. In exchange for loyalty and military service, the Storm King granted the Venuses lands in the northern interior of the Stormlands.

The family established their new seat at Greenhill Keep, a fortress carved into the cliffs overlooking the forested hills near the Wendwater basin. The earliest levels of the keep were designed specifically as hatchery chambers, with deep tunnels carved into the stone to maintain the temperature and mineral conditions required by venari eggs.

Over the next several generations, House Venus became a respected—if somewhat feared—minor house within the Stormlands. Their creatures were occasionally used in conflicts between rival lords or in border skirmishes. Chronicles from the Storm Kings’ courts describe venari breaking enemy shield walls and defending strongholds during sieges.

At the same time, the house began adapting to Westerosi culture. While they privately maintained their ancestral doctrine and ritual language, they publicly adopted the religious customs of their new homeland. At first this meant reverence for the Old Gods of the Forest, particularly when interacting with First Men houses in the region.

2.3 Extinction of the Creatures The destruction of the Valyrian Freehold during the Doom had devastating consequences for the venari species.

Although the creatures already existed in Westeros, the ecosystem that sustained their breeding had been tied closely to Valyria itself. Rare minerals, alchemical substances, and possibly magical energies connected to the Fourteen Flames were essential for successful incubation. Without these elements the Venus hatcheries began to fail.

Over the following century the venari population slowly declined. Hatchlings were smaller and weaker than their ancestors, and many eggs failed to hatch entirely.

House Venus attempted numerous experimental methods to preserve the species, including alchemical mixtures, blood rituals recorded in the Codex Venari, and the use of Kha’venar incantations during incubation.

Despite these efforts, the decline continued. The final confirmed venari—a massive female remembered in Venus chronicles as Grey Death—died roughly fifty years before the arrival of the Targaryens in Westeros. With her death the species was believed extinct.

A handful of unhatched eggs remained. Rather than destroying them, the family sealed the eggs within the deepest hatchery chambers beneath Greenhill Keep. These chambers would later become known as the Vault of Bones and the Hatchery Tunnels.

2.4 Aegon’s Conquest When Aegon I Targaryen began his conquest of Westeros, the Stormlands were ruled by the last Storm King, Argilac Durrandon.

House Venus, bound by centuries of loyalty, supported Argilac during the war. By this time their venari were already extinct, and the house’s military strength depended primarily on conventional knights and soldiers.

Argilac’s defeat at the hands of the Targaryen forces marked the end of Storm King rule. The Stormlands were granted to Orys Baratheon, founder of House Baratheon.

Despite their support for Argilac, House Venus was permitted to retain its lands. Orys Baratheon recognized the family’s long-standing presence in the region and their strategic location near important inland trade routes. From that point onward, House Venus became bannermen to Storm’s End under the Baratheons.

2.5 House Venus under the Targaryens reign During the centuries of Targaryen dynasty rule, House Venus remained a loyal but relatively quiet bannerman house.

Though they no longer possessed living venari, their knowledge of Valyrian hatchery lore continued to attract scholarly attention. Several maesters and alchemists visited Greenhill Keep in hopes of studying the preserved eggs or the mysterious Hatchstone said to regulate incubation conditions.

There are records suggesting that attempts to hatch the eggs were made during the reign of Jaehaerys I Targaryen, when interest in dragons and Valyrian creatures briefly surged.

Later efforts may also have occurred under Daeron II Targaryen, though none produced results.

During the reign of Viserys I Targaryen, lord Orion Venus sat on the Young King’s Small Council in between 103 to 129 AC as Master of Coin. He was said to be one of the King’s most trusted advisors, and it was written that the King gave the blessing for a marriage between Orion’s eldest daughter Lady Maris Venus and his grandson prince Jacaerys Velaryon. Viserys himself has allegedly said that the lady Maris will one day make a fine Queen. The two were betrothed for a few years, until the death of prince Jacaerys in 130 AC. Lady Maris disappeared after his death—some believe she died in the war, others that she escaped and lived in Pentos for the rest of her life.

In 201 AC, during the reign of Daeron II Targaryen, the King’s grandson prince Valarr has announced his betrothal to Lady Elenya Venus. They were married in King’s Landing in 202 AC. During the next few years of their marriage, they welcomed two children—their first born was a boy and it was said the prince picked the name, the second born was a daughter and, this time, the princess had the opportunity to decide on the name. The children were named Daeron, after the Good King, and Nysera, after a scholar of House Venus. The Young Prince died in 209 AC, from the Great Spring Sickness, as did his younger brother Matarys, and their grandfather, King Daeron II. It is not written what happened to the princess nor her children—some say they all contracted the Sickness (though the bodies were never found), others that she took the children and escaped the city. In 211 AC, Duncan and prince Aegon Targaryen heard a hunchbacked septon in Stoney Sept preach that the Hand of the King, Brynden Rivers, was responsible for Valarr's death and that he took his wife and children as well. The septon was later beheaded for speaking treason.

ㅤㅤ3 RECENT EVENTS In the later centuries of Westeros, House Venus remained a quiet but respected bannerman house of the Stormlands. Though their ancient venari creatures had long been believed extinct, their reputation as keepers of strange Valyrian knowledge endured among both nobles and smallfolk.

By this time the family had fully integrated into the political structure of the Stormlands, serving the lords of Storm's End and publicly following the Faith of the Seven. Yet beneath the halls of Greenhill Keep the ancient hatcheries remained sealed, and the ritual language Kha’venar continued to be spoken during private ceremonies connected to the Doctrine of the Hidden Flame.

The turbulent wars of the late third century after the Aegon's Conquest would once again draw House Venus into the greater struggles of the realm.

3.1 Robert's Rebellion Lord Aeryn Venus initially remained loyal to the Targaryens during the early stages of Robert’s Rebellion, offering counsel and sending limited forces to aid the crown. However, as the rebellion gained momentum, Aeryn grew wary of the Targaryens’ failing leadership and increasing instability within the hatcheries and the Greenhill keep. By the time he formally shifted allegiance to Robert Baratheon, the decisive battles had already concluded, and his support had little effect on the outcome.

After Robert’s victory, House Venus suffered severe consequences for their prior loyalty. The family was permitted to retain Greenhill Keep, but with greatly diminished wealth and political influence, forced into a more localized role managing the remnants of their once-great venari holdings.

Exiled from the wider affairs of the Stormlands, Aeryn and his heirs focused on rebuilding their house’s infrastructure at Greenhill, attempting to preserve the knowledge of venari breeding that had been central to their identity for centuries. Despite their reduced circumstances, House Venus maintained a reputation for careful stewardship of the surviving eggs, though their ambitions for broader influence were permanently curtailed.

3.2 War of the Five Kings The death of King Robert in 298 AC shattered the fragile peace that had defined his reign. Across the Seven Kingdoms, rival kings declared their claims, beginning the conflict later known as the War of the Five Kings.

The Stormlands were divided during this conflict. Many houses declared for Stannis Baratheon, the late king’s elder brother, while others followed Renly Baratheon, who had gained widespread support among the southern lords.

House Venus initially declared for Renly, whose popularity among the Stormlands nobility was difficult to ignore. The Lord of Greenhill joined Renly’s host when it gathered its vast army near Bitterbridge. The sudden assassination of Renly Baratheon shattered this alliance. Like many Stormlands houses present at the camp, House Venus found itself caught in the chaos that followed. Some Venus knights chose to follow Stannis after Renly’s death, while others returned to the Stormlands to defend their lands. Ultimately the house adopted a cautious neutrality for much of the remainder of the war, sending only small forces when required by their liege lords.

The instability of the realm during this period had unexpected consequences for the ancient traditions of the house.

With royal authority weakened and much of the Stormlands embroiled in conflict, the Venus archivists were able to conduct deeper investigations into the sealed hatchery chambers beneath Greenhill Keep. It was during these years that several previously forgotten manuscripts were rediscovered within the family’s archives, including fragments of the Codex Venari, an ancient Valyrian text describing incubation rituals and the manipulation of hatchery environments. These discoveries would prove critical in the years to come.

3.3 Resurrection of the Creatures For centuries the venari had been considered extinct. Their final eggs remained sealed within the deepest levels of the hatchery vaults beneath Greenhill Keep. Following the turmoil of the War of the Five Kings, Lord Aeryn Venus authorized a renewed effort to study the surviving eggs.

The work was carried out by the house’s archivists and hatchery masters, who carefully restored sections of the ancient hatchery tunnels that had collapsed or been abandoned over the centuries. These chambers were built of dark volcanic stone brought long ago from the Valyrian Freehold, a material believed to regulate the heat and mineral balance necessary for incubation.

Using knowledge reconstructed from the Codex Venari, the archivists attempted to recreate the original environmental conditions once maintained in Valyrian hatcheries.

Several changes were introduced:

controlled geothermal heating beneath the hatchery floors,

the reintroduction of rare mineral compounds used in ancient incubation mixtures,

ceremonial invocations spoken in the ritual language Kha’venar

Although many maesters dismissed the rites as superstition, the family maintained that the language itself held symbolic importance in awakening the dormant potential of the eggs.

After years of preparation, one egg reportedly began to show signs of life. The event is described in the private chronicle known as the Greenhill Record, which states that faint cracks appeared across the surface of the egg during a violent storm that struck the Stormlands. Unlike the immense beasts described in ancient Valyrian chronicles, the newborn creature was smaller and less imposing. Nevertheless, its survival proved that the species had not been completely lost.

Over the following years additional eggs were carefully incubated using the same methods.

Though still rare and fragile compared to their ancient ancestors, the reborn venari became the greatest secret of House Venus. Only a handful of trusted retainers and family members were permitted to witness the creatures. Officially, the hatcheries beneath Greenhill Keep remained empty ruins of a forgotten age.

Rumors soon spread among nearby villages of strange roars echoing from the hills during stormy nights, reviving old legends that the Venuses possessed hidden beasts beneath their castle. Whether these rumors will one day bring the attention of the great powers of Westeros remains uncertain.

Lady Gisella Venus has been the first person to have a healthy Creature show signs of life, mirroring Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons.

ㅤㅤ4 HISTORICAL MEMBERS 4.1 Old Valyria Vaelion Venus — lord who led the house to Westeros before the Doom. Nysera Venus — renowned hatchery mistress and scholar of venari breeding. 4.2 Stormlands Aeryn Venus — current Lord of Greenhill. Gisella Venus — heir credited with reviving the first venari in centuries.

ㅤㅤ5 QUOTES “Flesh endures when fire fades.” — motto carved above the Vault of Bones. “Storms may take our walls, but not our blood.” — attributed to Lord Venus during the Conquest. “A beast that sleeps is not a beast that dies.” — common saying among Greenhill servants.

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