Editing Valyrian Freehold (section)

===Rise to Power and the Fall of Ghis===
[[File:HBO Valyria v Ghis III.png|thumb|350px|The [[Valyria|dragon]] defeats the [[Ghis|harpy]]]]

Some five thousand years ago, in the early days of Valyria, the [[Old Empire of Ghis]] dominated and controlled much of [[Essos]]. The Ghiscari attempted to stop Valyria's expansion and the burgeoning freehold was involved in a series of great wars against the Old Empire. The Ghiscari [[lockstep legions]] attacked Valyria five times, but they could never defeat them - with the help of [[dragon]]s, Valyria was able to defend and emerge victorious each time.   

Finally, in the last of the [[Ghiscari wars]], the Valyrians marched on their capital, [[Old Ghis]], razed it to the ground, and sowed its fields with salt, sulfur, and skulls,{{Ref|aSoS|23}} obliterating it and thereby destroying the Old Empire of Ghis. Adopting [[slavery]] from Ghis, Valyria expanded its influence over the surviving Ghiscari colonies of [[Slaver's Bay]], and continued to conquer and colonize further.