‘Game of Thrones’ Prequel Probably Won’t Have Dragons

New information about the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series The Long Night may reveal some disappointing information for fans of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice book series: the prequel show won’t be the dragon-filled Targaryen story that some may have been hoping for.

Martin himself confirmed as much in a new interview with EW, in which he revealed what The Long Night is all about – and therefore, what it’s not about:

“There’s no King’s Landing. There’s no Iron Throne. There are no Targaryens — Valyria has hardly begun to rise yet with its dragons and the great empire that it built. We’re dealing with a different and older world and hopefully that will be part of the fun of the series.”

In Game of Thrones lore, the actual origin story of dragons is lost to myth and mystery. It’s commonly held that the civilization of Valyria was the first to raise dragons and weapons of war, with legend stating that the fiery creatures first sprang forth form the Fourteen Flames, a ring of volcanoes around the Valyrian peninsula. Conflicting legends place the birthplace of dragons in Shadow Lands beyond Asshai and the Jade Sea – while even more fantastical legends from Qarth claim dragons came into the world when the second moon was scalded by the sun and cracked open.

These kinds of conflicting accounts of legend are important to note in this context: the earliest synopsis for The Long Night seemed to indicate that one main theme of the series will be examining and possibly revealing that much of the history and legend we think we know is actually completely wrong:

“Taking place thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones, the series chronicles the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour… And only one thing is for sure: from the horrifying secrets of Westeros’ history to the true origin of the white walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend… it’s not the story we think we know.”

Why is this synopsis tease important to note? Because while the established history of Game of Thrones may make it seem like no dragons would appear in the time of The Long Night, the discovery or appearance of the very first dragon(s) could actually turn out to be a major part of the story. If someone in the continent of Essos were to discover and harness the first dragon ever seen, it may explain how Valyria gained the power to become the center of civilization – before its eventual fall.

Are you getting excited for this Game of Thrones: The Long Night? The series is expected to being production in early 2019.