Volantis

The August City of Volantis, also known as the First Daughter, is the oldest of the nine Free Cities of western Essos. It is arguably the richest of these cities, and for most of its history it was also the most powerful and populous, though in recent years its strength has been rivaled by Braavos.

Location and Layout
Volantis straddles one of the mouths of the Rhoyne, where Essos’ mightiest river meets the Summer Sea. Its territory spans west along the Orange Shore, and north up the Rhoyne, encompassing the “towns” of Selhorys, Valysar and Volon Therys, as well as numerous other settlements. Closer than any other Free City to Slaver’s Bay, Volantis is connected to Meereen by the notorious Demon Road.

Hot and humid, the city extends into nearby hills and marshes. Its deep and massive harbor is situated between the two halves of the city, connected by the famous Long Bridge. The oldest and wealthiest districts of the city are concentrated on the eastern bank of the river, while its western bank is predominated by newer and humbler sectors. Foreign visitors are usually restricted to the city’s western half.

The Long Bridge
Regarded as one of the greatest wonders of the known world, the Long Bridge of Volantis is the largest and longest span in all of the Free Cities. It is a center of population in its own right; its entire length is crowded with numerous buildings, including taverns, temples, brothels and shops.

The Black Walls
The heart of the old city is confined to the imposing Black Walls, a remnant of the Valyrian Freehold. Only the Old Blood - those who can prove unbroken descent from Old Valyria - may dwell within, and only at their invitation may outsiders visit. Ancient palaces within the Black Walls house much of the city’s nobility, insulated from the rabble of the outer city.

Fishmonger’s Square
One of the busiest commercial centers in Volantis, the Fishmonger’s Square is adjacent to the harbor and hosts a wide array of petty vendors. It is most notable as the home of the Merchant’s House, the largest and most renown inn in all of Volantis. Rising four levels above the ground, it sprawls throughout the district and is the favorite resting place for merchants and travelers.

Temple of the Lord of Light
Just outside of the Black Walls, the Temple of the Lord of Light stands tall amid its surroundings, occupying what was once the site of a large plaza. Numerous pillars, buttresses, towers and domes adjoin in an intricate arrangement, colored in various shades of red, orange, yellow and gold. It is believed to be three times the size of the Great Sept of Baelor, and is home to the High Priest, arguably the most revered devotee of R’hllor in the known world. The temple is protected by an army of slave soldiers known as the Fiery Hand, who are solely sworn to the service of the red priests within.

The Towns of the Rhoyne
Though legally considered towns, the settlements of Selhorys, Volon Therys and Valysar are all larger and more populous than King’s Landing. Culturally and politically Volantene, all three feature flourishing centers of trade along the Rhoyne. Unlike their mother city, however, these towns are much more vulnerable to attacks from the dothraki, and are consequently more prone to bouts of instability.

People
Like nearly every other Free City of Essos, Volantis is society primarily comprised of slaves; there are five slaves in the city for every free man. To denote their status, nearly every slave is branded with a facial tattoo that corresponds with his or her specialty. Many freeborn soldiers also tattoo their faces to commemorate their feats in battle.

The city is ruled by an elite caste known as the “Old Blood” - the families who can trace unbroken descent from Old Valyria. Only they have the privilege of living within the Black Walls, and candidacy in the city’s elections is reserved exclusively for members of these families. The aristocrats of Volantis almost always travel in palanquins or hathays, as they believe that traveling on foot is beneath them.

Politics
Volantis is ruled by three triarchs, elected on a yearly basis. Though only the Old Blood may proclaim candidacy, all free citizens of either gender may vote, so long as they own an adequate amount of land or property. Volantene elections are festive and chaotic, but often more orderly than they appear.

Volantene politics swing between two parties, the Elephants and the Tigers. The Elephants are more inclined toward commerce and supported by merchants and financiers, while the Tigers advocate military expansionism and derive their support from warriors and the old nobility. It is exceptionally rare for more than one Tiger to be elected triarch in a single year; it is far more common for three Elephants to be elected. It is equally rare for women to win election. Incumbent triarchs are expected to never travel on foot, as the Volantenes believe that the triarchs are the most elevated citizens of the city.

Economy
Situated closer to the ruins of Valyria than any of its other daughters, Volantis is arguably the most important crossroads in the known world. It attracts merchants from the Free Cities, the Rhoyne, and the distant east, and is as far as most Westerosi sailors dare to travel. The city’s access to the markets of Slaver’s Bay has fostered a dependency on slave labor, but also a thriving slave trade. Silks and spices from the Jade Sea usually move through Volantis before they are traded further west. Because of its wealth, population and location, the city’s economy is not characterized by any trade or craft in particular; the most diverse array of goods in the Free Cities can be found in Volantis.

300-330 AC: Hegemony Over Slaver’s Bay
The fourth century began with Daenerys Targaryen’s conquest of Meereen, which prompted Volantis to intervene on behalf of the deposed elites of Slaver’s Bay. Before the Volantene fleet arrived, however, Daenerys agreed to take her host to Westeros, leaving Meereen behind. However, the departure of the Mother of Dragons was not enough to restore the stability that her reign had upended. With the support of the Ghiscari aristocracy, Volantis began an occupation of all three cities of Slaver’s Bay. In exchange for this support, the slaver cities agreed to trading arrangements favorable to Volantis, effectively establishing Volantene hegemony over the bay.

In the year 310 AC, the Volantene presence in Slaver’s Bay was reduced to only a token force, but the First Daughter continued to reap the rewards of its regional primacy. The city prospered over the course of the next two decades, further empowering the already dominant Elephant faction; most of these years saw not a single Tiger elected as triarch. Nevertheless, tensions began to simmer between the High Priest of the Lord of Light and the political elite, occasionally resulting in skirmishes between their respective forces.

330-335 AC: The War in the Narrows and the Red God Revival
The ascendancy of Baelon Targaryen in Lys boded poorly for the August City’s future, and the Elephants’ diplomatic leanings fell out of favor as the renegade prince subjugated Tyrosh and Myr. In 333 AC, the “Year of the Tiger” saw two Tigers elected simultaneously for the first time in centuries. The new regime immediately mobilized all of the city’s men against Baelon, including the garrisons in Slaver’s Bay - effectively terminating the Volantene hegemony over the region.

However, Baelon Targaryen’s downfall came more quickly than Volantis had anticipated. The end of this conflict, coupled with the Tigers’ economic ineptitude, restored the Elephants to power in 334 AC. No longer deterred by Volantene garrisons, an opportunistic dothraki horde sacked Meereen, and though they were defeated by Yunkai and Astapor, Slaver’s Bay was once again destabilized and weakened. The crippling of this important trading relationship exacerbated Volantis’ economic decline.

Continuing tensions between priests and triarchs culminated in open conflict between the Fiery Hand and the forces of the state. Adonno Vaelaros, a triarch of the Tiger faction, sent mercenaries to attack the Temple of the Lord of Light, resulting in numerous riots, revolts and fires. The triarchs ultimately triumphed, compelling the High Priest to encourage the Red God’s most zealous followers to leave for the west to proselytize elsewhere. These Volantene expatriates thus initiated the Red God Revival, successfully strengthening the faith of R’hllor on both sides of the Narrow Sea.

335-355 AC: The Striped Elephant
The First Daughter’s fortunes began a gradual recovery in the aftermath of the War in the Narrows, though this was briefly interrupted in 340 AC, when the arrival of the Summer Sickness eliminated one tenth of the city’s population.

After centuries of exclusively electing men, two women were elected triarch in the year 344 AC - one an Elephant and the other a Tiger. Lyricha Tagaros was elected alongside fellow elephant Maryno Vhassar, while Voranda Qhaedar served as the sole representative of the Tigers. All three were reelected for the next few years, but in his second year as triarch, Maryno Vhassar found himself distanced from his own faction and increasingly swayed by the Tigers. With the support of the “Striped Elephant”, as he came to be known, Voranda Qhaedar initiated an aggressively expansionist agenda.

Intent on reimposing Volantene hegemony over Slaver’s Bay, a massive army was sent east over land. However, the Demon Road quickly proved as perilous as its name suggested. The city of Mantarys was seized, but a costly occupation indefinitely stalled the advancement of the Volantene army. Frustrated by Voranda Qhaedar’s ill-fated plan and outraged by Maryno Vhassar’s political treachery, the architects of this campaign were removed in a bloodless coup in 348 AC.

The sanctity of Volantene institutions was further violated when the restored Elephants indefinitely suspended the Tigers from political candidacy. A civil war began to brew along partisan lines, but to prevent chaos and bloodshed, the ban was reluctantly lifted in 352 AC. The next year, two Elephants and one Tiger were elected, returning the city’s politics to the usual status quo.

355-385: The Uprising on the Rhoyne
Political turmoil ultimately did little to hinder the prosperity of Volantis proper, but the next few decades were far from peaceful in the city’s subordinate territories. Dothraki raiders repeatedly harassed the towns of Selhorys, Valysar and Volon Therys, as well as their adjacent farmlands, until Volantis reluctantly bribed their khal in the year 368 AC. This tribute largely consisted of armaments, allowing the dothraki to turn their attention to the other Free Cities; for this, Volantis earned the other cities’ ire.

However, the settlements further up the Rhoyne were only briefly spared from catastrophe. Sustained flooding severely damaged the agricultural output of the Volantene provinces, and the burden of starvation rested entirely on their shoulders: the city of Volantis continued to divert as much food from its lesser towns as it had before.

Animosity grew between Volantis and its three major towns, compelling the latter to unite in rebellion in the year 377 AC. With support from Braavos, the towns of the Rhoyne were able to sustain intermittent insurrections until 385 AC. The terms of the peace allowed each of the three towns to send a representative to the city of Volantis, where they would keep close access to the triarchs’ ears. Nevertheless, tensions between the two persisted, and the city’s rivalry with Braavos intensified.

385-430 AC: War by Proxy
At the end of the fourth century, Volantis was again stable, prosperous and at peace - and for those reasons, emboldened. In an attempt to hinder the economy of Braavos, tolls on northward overland trade routes were sharply raised in 398 AC. However, they were soon repealed, as they ultimately harmed their ally, Qohor, more than their perennial rival. In 402 AC, war erupted between Qohor and Norvos, the former backed by Volantis while the latter was supported by Braavos. An influx of supplies and sellsword detachments on both sides prolonged what should have been a swift dispute; the war ended in a stalemate after four years. Nevertheless, the two most powerful daughters of Valyria continued to squabble indirectly. The next decade was characterized by numerous slave revolts along the Rhoyne, covertly incited by the Braavosi.

Volantis engaged directly in a war with Norvos in 427 AC, prompted by a dispute over their shared border. Though Braavos again supported and supplied their enemy’s enemy, Volantis enjoyed a rapid succession of victories at the beginning of the war. However, poor leadership and political mismanagement kept the Volantene forces from winning decisively, and eventually the tide turned in Norvos’ favor. Volantis sued for peace in 430 AC, accepting a humiliating defeat.

The Second Year of the Tiger
The Elephants bore the brunt of the blame for Volantis’ defeat in the war with Norvos, and their policies were further delegitimized by economic stagnation throughout the next several years. The rise of dragonriders in the Stepstones and the Kingdom of the Three Daughters further exacerbated the electorate’s fear that the current regime was unfit to lead the city through trying times.

Under these circumstances, the Tigers seized power in 437 AC through the greatest electoral upset in recent history. For the first time in centuries, three Tigers were elected triarch, all promising a radical departure from the status quo. However, they refrained from any rash actions during their first year, instead taking the time to deliberate over their agenda. They entered the next year as favorites to win reelection, still keeping the confidence of the Volantene people.