Lords freeholder
The lords freeholder,[1] or simply freeholders,[2] were the nobility of the Valyrian Freehold. Any individual who owned land and was not born into slavery was considered a freeholder.[3]
The lords freeholder sometimes elected archons from their own number, to help lead Valyria for a limited time. While the freeholding families were officially of equal status, it was not entirely unheard of for Valyria to be swayed by one family alone.[1] The freeholders benefited greatly from the mining of gold and silver by slaves beneath the Fourteen Flames.[2]
All freeholders were in concept equal, but in practice the wealthiest and most prestigious families had the most power. Volantis, which is also a freehold, has even gone so far as to officially restrict the office of triarch to those of the Old Blood, families who can prove unbroken descent from Old Valyria.[3]
The most powerful freeholders were the dragonlords, families who tamed and rode dragons. House Targaryen is the only dragonlord family that survived the Doom.[2] Of the lords freeholder overall, House Velaryon,[4] House Celtigar,[5] and the Old Blood of Volantis[6] also persist to this day.
Recent Events
A Feast for Crows
The kindly man says that some believe the first Faceless Man was a freeholder's son.[7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: The Doom of Valyria.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 6, The Merchant's Man.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: Volantis.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 22, Arya II.