The Chronicle of Emperor Richard Baratheon, the Great, the Storm Dragon
The Last King and the First Emperor
Compiled by Archmaester Theodric of the Citadel
Birth and Bloodline
Richard Baratheon was born in 280 AC, the third son of Lord Duncan Baratheon of Storm’s End and Princess Rhaenyra Daeragon of House Daeragon, the Imperial dynasty of Valyria. Through his father he carried the storm-born blood of House Baratheon, descended from Orys Baratheon, first of that name and rumored half-brother of Aegon the Conqueror. Through his mother, he inherited the unbroken dragon blood of Valyria.
From his earliest years, Richard was marked as different. His violet eyes gleamed with the fire of old Valyria, while his silken black hair recalled the storms of the Stormlands. Unlike many Westerosi nobles, he was taught High Valyrian from his mother’s lips, and became fluent. It was the tongue in which he spoke to his siblings, to his wife Daenerys, and later to his children—a bridge of blood and language binding his dynasty.
The Path to Power
Raised among his siblings—Randall the statesman, Marianne the wise, Rosalia the warrior, and Lucas the bold—Richard’s childhood was one of discipline and promise. He soon became both warrior and politician, mastering swordplay and statecraft with equal brilliance. His dragon egg, a gift from his mother, hatched into Caesarion, the Golden Dreadlord, the greatest dragon since Balerion.
Richard’s youth was shaped by the collapse of Robert’s reign. Where Robert Baratheon grew indolent, Richard showed vision. His rise was not sudden rebellion but gradual gathering: of loyalty, of power, of dragons. By uniting his siblings, forging bonds with Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, and harnessing Caesarion’s might, he became the storm and flame that swept away the fractured old order.
The Last King, the First Emperor
Richard first ascended as King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, the last to bear the ancient title. Yet kingship could not contain his vision. After defeating Tywin Lannister’s rebellion and humbling the Ironborn, he founded a new capital, Rygoros, in the Vale’s mountains—a city of white marble with the Golden Throne of Westeros at its heart.
From there, he proclaimed the birth of the Empire of Westeros, uniting the provinces under one central authority. Later, through conquest of Volantis, Braavos, Myr, Lys, Pentos, Qohor, Norvos, Lorath, and the Valyrian Peninsula itself, the realm expanded across the Narrow Sea. At last, the empire was renamed the Empire of Westeros and Western Essos.
Thus Richard Baratheon became the first Emperor, a title borne not by kings of Seven Kingdoms, but by the ruler of two continents.
The Storm Dragon and His Mounts
Richard was famed as the greatest dragonrider of his age. Caesarion, his Golden Dreadlord, was larger even than Balerion the Black Dread. Yet his legend grew greater still when, venturing into the heart of the Fourteen Flames, Richard tamed a firewyrm—the first in history to do so. He named it Verman, and from that day, the Storm Dragon ruled both the skies and the lands on two mighty mounts.
The Prince That Was Promised
Richard’s reign was tested by the greatest peril in living memory: the return of the White Walkers. At Moat Cailin, he led the living against the dead. Through the blessings of the Old Gods of Valyria and the Lord of Light, he slew the Night King with his own hand. The army of the dead crumbled, and prophecy was fulfilled: Richard Baratheon was the Prince That Was Promised, the storm and fire who saved the world.
The Baratheon Dynasty
Richard and Empress Daenerys Stormborn had eight children, uniting the blood of stag and dragon into a single Baratheon Dynasty. Their offspring became princes, princesses, generals, and governors across the empire, and their descendants continued both the names of Targaryen and Baratheon, weaving them into one unbroken line.
Randall Baratheon served as Lord Chancellor, Marianne as the Princess of Courtesy and bridge to the smallfolk, Rosalia as General of the Order of the Golden Sun, and Lucas as Defender of Aegon’s Landing and Prince Consort of Sunspear.
The Golden Reign and Death
For sixty years Richard ruled as Emperor, longer than even King Jaehaerys I Targaryen had reigned. His reign was known as the Golden Reign, an era of unity, expansion, and prosperity. From the Iron Islands to the Walls of Braavos, from Dorne’s deserts to the smoking ruins of old Valyria, the empire flourished under his hand.
When he passed, it was not by sword nor treachery, but of old age, surrounded by his wife and children in the Imperial Palace of Rygoros. His body was burned according to the rites of Valyria, his ashes mingled with those of his dragonblood ancestors.
Legacy
Emperor Richard Baratheon, the Great, the Storm Dragon, was remembered by maesters and smallfolk alike as the last king and the first emperor. His reign transformed the world: abolishing the feudal order, centralizing power in the provinces, founding a currency, building fleets and armies, and uniting cultures once divided by sea and blood.
He was conqueror, statesman, warrior, dragonlord, and savior. Yet above all, he was the ruler who gave both Westeros and Essos a single banner under which to stand.
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