The Tower of Joy, a lone sentinel among the stark peaks of the Red Mountains, stands as both a mystery and a testament to the sweeping tides of history and love. Named by none other than Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, this solitary round tower lay in the northmost reaches of Dorne, perched where the Prince’s Pass dwindles toward the Stormlands. Here, it stood hidden yet in plain sight, with Kingsgrave looming to the south and Nightsong, seat of the Carons, to the north. One might consider this place an unlikely refuge, a remote corner for a prince’s cherished dream.
The tower's tale took a tragic turn in the days following the fall of King Aerys II. After Robert’s Rebellion had all but unseated House Targaryen, Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, known widely for his steadfast honor and loyalty, set forth with a small band of loyal companions to Dorne. Among them were men who had fought fiercely for House Stark: Howland Reed, a resourceful lord from the swamps of the Neck; Lord Willam Dustin, Martyn Cassel, Theo Wull, Ser Mark Ryswell, and Ethan Glover. Theirs was a mission wrapped in secrecy and solemn duty, though even now much of its purpose remains obscured.
As Eddard Stark and his companions approached the Tower of Joy, they were met by three members of the Kingsguard—Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning; Ser Oswell Whent, a knight of notable prowess; and their commander, Gerold Hightower, the White Bull. These men, sworn to protect House Targaryen to their last breath, had not bent the knee to the new order. A fierce and grievous battle ensued. Of the brave who set out that day, only Eddard Stark and Howland Reed returned to tell the tale, and it is said that Eddard himself laid waste to the tower, toppling its stones to form the cairns of those who had fallen.
The tower’s ruin stands today as a somber reminder of the fleeting nature of dreams and the relentless march of duty. Many a tale has spun from the events at the Tower of Joy, yet one lingers above all—a whispered claim that, in the tower’s darkened halls, Eddard found his sister, Lyanna Stark, dying. What words passed between them, what secrets may have been spoken, none can say with certainty. Some maesters claim that her last breaths held a plea or a promise, one that Eddard carried back to Winterfell, bound to silence.
The Tower of Joy is no more, reduced to rubble and memory, but its legacy endures—a beacon of loss and mystery, symbolizing the intertwined fates of duty, honor, and love. It stands now only in story and song, a somber refrain of a prince’s fleeting joy and the long shadow of the past that stretches even to the present day.
The tower's tale took a tragic turn in the days following the fall of King Aerys II. After Robert’s Rebellion had all but unseated House Targaryen, Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, known widely for his steadfast honor and loyalty, set forth with a small band of loyal companions to Dorne. Among them were men who had fought fiercely for House Stark: Howland Reed, a resourceful lord from the swamps of the Neck; Lord Willam Dustin, Martyn Cassel, Theo Wull, Ser Mark Ryswell, and Ethan Glover. Theirs was a mission wrapped in secrecy and solemn duty, though even now much of its purpose remains obscured.
As Eddard Stark and his companions approached the Tower of Joy, they were met by three members of the Kingsguard—Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning; Ser Oswell Whent, a knight of notable prowess; and their commander, Gerold Hightower, the White Bull. These men, sworn to protect House Targaryen to their last breath, had not bent the knee to the new order. A fierce and grievous battle ensued. Of the brave who set out that day, only Eddard Stark and Howland Reed returned to tell the tale, and it is said that Eddard himself laid waste to the tower, toppling its stones to form the cairns of those who had fallen.
The tower’s ruin stands today as a somber reminder of the fleeting nature of dreams and the relentless march of duty. Many a tale has spun from the events at the Tower of Joy, yet one lingers above all—a whispered claim that, in the tower’s darkened halls, Eddard found his sister, Lyanna Stark, dying. What words passed between them, what secrets may have been spoken, none can say with certainty. Some maesters claim that her last breaths held a plea or a promise, one that Eddard carried back to Winterfell, bound to silence.
The Tower of Joy is no more, reduced to rubble and memory, but its legacy endures—a beacon of loss and mystery, symbolizing the intertwined fates of duty, honor, and love. It stands now only in story and song, a somber refrain of a prince’s fleeting joy and the long shadow of the past that stretches even to the present day.
