Aemond is one of the least pleasant characters inHouse of the Dragon. The Targaryen family is full of brutal conquerors and cruel monsters, but some seem more forgivable than others. Viserys and Alicent’s second son seems to have all the bad parts of his father’s lineage. Aemond unleashes the wrath of his mighty dragon on the innocent village of Sharp Point when he sees his enemies gaining power. He torches the seat of House Bar Emmon because their patriarch supports Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne.
House of the Dragonhas a weird relationshipwith its characters' morality. Sometimes it bends over backwards to justify a character’s violence or even absolve them of guilt. Other episodes see the writers invent a new atrocity to make their noble figures slip even further into darkness. Aemond is a great example. In the books, he decides to kill his young nephew in cold blood. In the show, it’s an accident that pushes the continent toward war. Though he’s absolved of that crime, he also burns a city he never encountered in the books. It’s a strange line to play with.
What is the significance of Sharp Point?
Sharp Point is the seat of House Bar Emmon, and Lord Bar Emmon declared for Rhaenyra when theDance of the Dragonsbegan. That’s as far as Aemond thought through his assault. The event that claimed thousands of innocent lives began when Rhaenyra launched her and her son, Jacaerys’s, plan to find more dragon riders. They sent word to King’s Landing, looking for every distant relative and unclaimed bastard of the Targaryen line. A small army of potential dragonseeds makes their way to Dragonstone to attempt to claim a dragon. Almost every participant dies immediately as Vermithor attacks everyone standing nearby. The mighty blacksmith and devoted family man, Hugh Hammer, stands up to Vermithor, earns the beast’s respect, and becomes his rider. Meanwhile, drunken braggart Ulf White claims Silverwing by dumb luck. Ulf immediately flies past King’s Landing, alerting Aemond to his presence. Aware of the new threat, Aemond rides his powerful elder dragon, Vhagar, toDragonstone to attack Rhaenyra. He has to retreat when he discovers her three new dragons. Enraged, Aemond burns down Sharp Point on the way home, drawing criticism from almost everyone. Jace sums up the attack like this:
The so-called prince regent has burned Sharp Point down to its stones. Thousands of its folk dead or lost.
Who rules Sharp Point?
House Bar Emmon rules Sharp Point. The town sits in the crownlands, at the far end of Massey’s Hook. It’s on the shore of the Gullet. It’s almost the perfect geographical midpoint betweenDragonstone and King’s Landing. House Bar Emmon rules the region. The family formed during the Andal Invasion and went to war with several other petty lords before Aegon’s Conquest. When Aegon arrived, House Bar Emmon immediately declared allegiance to the first Targaryen king. They were attached to the Storm Kings at Storm’s End, making them vassals of House Durrandon. House Bar Emmon betrayed King Argilac the Arrogant, standing aside while the last Storm King died in combat with Orys Baratheon. This gave House Bar Emmon a comfortable relationship with House Targaryen, maintaining that alliance even after House Baratheon took the Stormlands. The unnamed Lord Bar Emmon supported Rhaenys when King Jaehaerys Targaryen selected his successor. Following that pattern, they also supported Rhaenyra in theDance of the Dragons. They didn’t make much of an impact in the war. Their lord notably suggested that Rhaenyra surrender after a major defeat, but Rhaenyra ignored their advice.
Where else does House Bar Emmon appear?
House Bar Emmon is not especially important inA Song of Ice and Fire. Their names pop up a few times. Some of their heraldry appears inHouse of the Dragon’sBattle for the Stepstonesin the first season. In the books, House Bar Emmon supports Stannis Baratheon in the War of the Five Kings. Stannis doesn’t see much use in them, especially since their patriarch is only 15 at that point in the story. They contributed one of the many ships that were destroyed in Tyrion’s wildfire plot during theBattle of the Blackwater. Their efforts are unimpressive. If they appear inHouse of the Dragonagain, it’ll be either a passing mention or a brief cameo for the unnamed lord.
Sharp Point is one of the many areas of Westeros thatGame of Thronessimply doesn’t have time to cover. The franchise barely acknowledges the location and its ruling family. House Bar Emmon disappears into the many noble families that simply don’t do anything of major importance. Aemond’s rage found a reasonable target. The Greens have spent most of theDance of the Dragonsattacking the homes of Rhaenyra’s supporters. This is no different, but it earns the outrage of Aemond’s entire family and further turns the world against the Greens. Sharp Point might not be the most important village, but it’s another tale in the grim story of Aemond Targaryen.
