Editing Free Cities (section)

===Foundations===
[[File:FM Norvos.png|thumb|350px|[[Norvos]] by Franz Miklis © Fantasy Flight Games]]
The Free Cities were founded as colonies of the [[Valyrian Freehold]], with the exception of [[Braavos]], which was founded by [[slaves]] escaping the Freehold.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Free Cities: Braavos}} The reasons for each city's founding varies. What made them "free" is that their leaders purchased contracts from Valyria's [[dragonlord]]s that gave them limited self-rule over their own affairs, but they called on their "mother" for aid in times of war or other crisis.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Free Cities}}

The southern Free Cities, closest to [[Valyria]], were all founded as trade colonies: [[Volantis]] (first and oldest of the Free Cities), [[Lys]], [[Myr]], and [[Tyrosh]]. They had a high degree of contact with Valyria and each other and thus have similar cultures. Tyrosh was first created as a military outpost to guard shipping lanes through the [[Stepstones]], though it quickly turned into a major mercantile center as well.{{Ref|TWOIAF|Ancient History: Valyria's Children}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Free Cities: The Quarrelsome Daughters: Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh}}

The northern Free Cities, farther away from Valyria, have more diverse cultures and were mostly founded by religious dissidents seeking to distance themselves from the center of Valyrian power, who disagreed with the Freehold's tolerance for the plethora of different faiths practiced within it. [[Norvos]] was founded by [[Bearded Priests of Norvos|Bearded Priests]],{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Free Cities: Norvos}} [[Qohor]] by the cult of the [[Black Goat of Qohor|Black Goat]],{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Free Cities: Qohor}} and [[Lorath]] by followers of the Blind God [[Boash]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Free Cities: Lorath}} Braavos is also located at the far northwestern edge of the Free Cities because the escaped slaves who created it fled as far from Valyria itself as possible. 

Lorath was originally settled by a series of other peoples, from the [[Mazemakers]] in ancient times up to the [[Andal]]s, before they were burned out by Valyria's [[dragons]], leaving it totally depopulated. Centuries later, Lorath was re-settled by dissidents from Valyria, though the ruins of its former inhabitants remain.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Free Cities: Lorath}}

Alone among the Free Cities, Pentos might be a continuation of a prior settlement. Some histories say it was an Andal colony where many Valyrian merchants migrated to seek their fortunes, and because they were of low social rank they freely intermingled their bloodlines with the locals. The modern Pentoshi have similar appearances to the Andals of Westeros, but the sources claiming it existed before Valyria are biased and might not be trustworthy.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Free Cities: Pentos}}