Valyrian Freehold

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Valyrians discover dragons living in the Fourteen Fires
Valyrians tamed and used dragons

Valyrian Freehold, was a great empire that span much of the continent of Essos, but has since fallen to ruin, approximately one hundred years before Aegon's Landing, when it was brought down by cataclysmic event known as the Doom of Valyria. At its prime, the Valyrian Freehold encompassed most of the eastern continent and reached as far as the current Free Cities and the island of Dragonstone off the coast of Westeros. The Valyrian Freehold was an advanced civilization and the dominant military and cultural power of the known world. Its capital was the city Valyria.

History

Valyria was once a minor civilization of peaceful sheep-herding folk living on the Valyrian peninsula. Until the Valyrians discovered dragons lairing in the Fourteen Fires, a ring of volcanoes on the Valyrian Peninsula. The Valyrians tame the dragons with magic and mastered the technique of raising and training the dragons into devastating weapons of war.[1] They began expanding their influence, establishing the Freehold with Valyria as its capital. There, magic flowered, topless towers rose toward the heavens where dragons soared, stone sphinxes gazed down through eyes of garnet, and smiths forged swords of legendary strength and sharpness; and with their Dragons and Magic they began expanding their influence.

  • Rise to Power: Some five thousand years ago, in the early days of Valyria, it was involved in a series of great wars against the Old Empire of Ghiscari Empire, which at that time controlled much of the eastern continent. With the help of Dragons, Valyria was victorious each time and in the last time they destroyed the Ghiscari Empire, razing its capital Old Ghis to the ground and sowed its fields with salt, sulfur, and skulls.[2] After its conquest of Ghis, Valyria expended its influence over the surviving Ghiscari colonies of Slaver's Bay and continued to conquer and colonize farther.
  • War against the Rhoyne: When the Valyrians turned their eyes to the ancient and high civilization of the Rhoynar, Prince Garin the Great led an army of a quarter of a million men against Valyria. However, it was futile and their defeat was disastrous. The remnants fled to Dorne, led by a warrior queen Nymeria, the singers say her ten thousand ships were filled with women and children, suggesting all (or most) of the men of fighting age had died in the conflict with Valyria.
  • Valyrian Imperialism & Western Expansion: The Valyrian Freehold (technically never an Empire)[3] continued to expand and conquer further west, capturing many slaves from its conquered lands and using them to mine great wealth from the Fourteen Flames, build great cities and roadways that led to Valyria. Cities built by the Valyrian Freehold include Oros, Mantarys, Tyria, and all of the Free Cities except Bravos. At the height of its power, the Freehold stretched over most of the eastern continent. Of the fabled great cities, the topless towers are remembered for their great beauty.
  • Doom of Valyria, a cataclysmic event that took place approximately one hundred years before Aegon's Landing, following which the city Valyria was utterly destroyed and Valyrian Freehold crumbled and was no more. The Doom fragmented the land surrounding the city itself into numerous smaller islands, creating the Smoking Sea between them.[4][5] The area is now described as "demon-haunted", and most people are afraid to go there, as it is said, "The Doom still rules in Valyria."[6][7]

Legacy

Most of Valyria's culture, language, and craft was lost in the Doom. Valyrians descendants scattered across the world, many across the surviving Valyrians colonies, which gained independence after the Doom and are know as the Free Cities; and across the cities of Slaver's Bay. Those Valyrians have become intermarried and mixed with other peoples, they continue to speak in various local dialect of Valyrian.[2][8]

Valyria remembered for its ability to raise and command dragons, using them as weapons of war. Which was demonstrated by the Targaryens, the last of the known Valyrian Dragonlords, who used that knowledge to conquer and rule the Seven Kingdoms.[9] Valyria is also remembered for forging weapons made of Valyrian steel, a magical alloy used to make weapons of unparalleled quality. The secret of forging such metal was apparently lost with Valyria, making those remaining weapons highly treasured and extremely rare.[10]

Beliefs and Customs

The 'Freehold of Valyria' was neither a kingdom nor an empire. Instead, all "free holders" -- freeborn landowners -- had a say in its governance. In practice, however, families of great wealth, high birth, and strong sorcerous ability tended to dominate.[11]

Valyrians spoke the High Valyrian language. They had great skill in shaping stone. It is often said that the old wizards of Valyria did not cut and chisel stone, but worked it with fire and magic as one might work clay, although much of their knowledge is now lost. Valyrian roads, known as Dragon roads, still exist today as monument to their work [12][13] as well as Dragonstone castle.

The Valyrians used thousands of slaves from across the continent, in the blisteringly hot mines underneath the Fourteen Flames, who burned and died, to find gold and silver. Slave revolts were common in the mines, but the Valyrians were strong in sorcery and able to put them down. When there was war, the Valyrians took thousands of slaves, and when there was peace they bred them.[1]

The Valyrians had a number of different gods, among them are Balerion, Meraxes and Vhagar. Aegon the Conqueror had named his dragons for them, although he had converted to the faith of the Seven. Additionally the Targaryens practiced polygamy and incestuous marriage, however it is unknown if this is a Valyrian custom or instead a specifically Targaryen trait to keep their bloodline pure.

Influences

Its possible that the titanic clashes between Valyria and the Ghiscari Empire are echo of the Punic wars between Rome and Carthage over control of the Mediterranean.

References and Notes