Introduction: Daenys was wrong. Valyria never fell. House Targaryen remains on a little rock outside of Westeros, meanwhile Valyria remains ascendant over Essos. But there are signs of strife. Anger in the Free Cities, those that do not practice slavery, over their Valyrian overlords allowing it to remain in the Slave Cities farther to the east. Discontent grows in the continent, with some Slavers wanting to band together and form a New Ghiscar Empire, which could rival the Valyrians. Does the Doom even need to topple the Valyrians? Or could a collection of Free City rebels, Ghiscarians, and their own internal strife do them in?

Part 1: Lys

Pale white hair laid against the bedsheets, the memories of faded kisses and passion resting in both of their minds. Maelyra Lenitheos was giggling as she traced patterns over her Lysene pillow servant. The man was nearly motionless, but he was as close to Valyrian as you could get outside of Valyria itself.

"My husband will be back in morning," Maelyra yawned, pressing a drunken kiss to the Lysene man.

Aros shifted, knowing that he wasn't pure Valyrian. His hair was dark at its roots, but fell in a golden sheet after that. He rarely cut it, in order to attract more Valyrian customers. They tended to pay better.

"Will he want me gone?" Aros asked, ever conscious of the tear that was embedded into his cheek.

"Oh no," Maelyra said in an off-hand manner. "He doesn't much care about any of that stuff. Particularly with one as pretty as you," She said with a grin, slowly getting to her feet. A loose robe hung off of her features, with her gleaming silver hair falling down behind her. Aros slowly got to his feet after she did.

It was true what they said, that High Valyrians looked nearly ethereal. Aros had to prepare himself each time one came to use him. This time, he wouldn't miss his chance. "More wine?" Aros asked as he slid over to the bottles.

"No, I think I'm quite full," Maelyra yawned, stretching and looking out the window at the morning in Lys.

It was a bustling city, with merchants and travelers all around. Salesmen, particularly those that would sell their pillow servants, were out on the street as well. The coasts were beautiful in this time of the morning, the blue lapping at the tan sand.

"Are you sure?" An edge slipped into Aros' voice as he uncorked a bottle of Arbor gold. His hand shook a little bit as he began to pour a glass for himself. "I know it helps after what happened last night."

"You know what, sure." Maelyra said as she tottered her way towards him, putting a hand on his bare back. "You were fun." She grinned as he filled the glasses. She turned away once more to look outside, seeing her husband walk up the steps towards Aros' residence.

"Will he want wine as well?" Aros asked politely, trying to seem deferential.

"He won't turn it down," Maelyra replied as she disappeared behind the bed to begin dressing for the day.

Aros wasn't nearly as modest, wearing a silken pair of underwear he'd been gifted by a lady from Tyrosh years ago. But the fact that she was behind the bed gave him the chance he'd been waiting for. He pulled a tiny vial from beneath the cabinet's wood and uncorked it. To anyone watching, it would've been obvious. The skull on it with the black vial made it clear that it wasn't any wine. He slid droplets into two of the glasses and picked them up.

The door opened and Maelyra's husband walked in. He was an imposing man, with strong, sinewy muscles and stood a few inches taller than even Aros. He wore a dark cloak around a black doublet, with a dragon fastening on it. It was obvious that he was broadcasting to everyone he was one of the High Valyrians.

"Wine, if it pleases?" Aros held it out to him.

A bit of distaste entered his vision when he saw the dirty blonde hair and the tear on his cheek, but he took it anyway. Yes, he thought, drink up, you arrogant man. He turned to Maelyra with a smile on his face. "For you," He bowed a little when he gave it to her.

"This place is a den of fleshmongers and bastards," The Valyrian man said with distaste, looking at Aros as he spoke. "Hardly worth the time of any Valyrian."

"We have a lot of Valyrian customers," Aros said politely, his head bowed a little deferentially. "Particularly in the summer months." It was true, even High Valyrians liked to venture to Lys to enjoy the pillow houses.

Lord Lenitheos was about to respond when he fell to the floor. Maelyra dropped down next to him in a matter of seconds. "What's going on?" She asked, her throat feeling raw.

Aros just sipped his wine calmly as the poison ate them from the inside out. Lord Lenitheos, despite having gotten the dose earlier, lasted longer. He looked up at Aros with eyes filled with hate.

"I'm just a whore, right?" Aros whispered as he slipped on a robe, kneeling down beside the ailing man. "Just some Lysene pillow slave that you can torment? No, that ends now."

Aros dressed more comfortably for the day, and he was gone. Disappeared into the bustling streets of Lys, he had defeated two High Valyrians that day. A target, though, would appear on his back shortly.

Part 2: Astapor

The man dashed through the city's streets, pushing people aside on the Plaza of Pride. "Stop him!" A voice shouted from behind.

Rezdis na Shaliz was quick, however, dashing past. His messy black and red hair whipped in the morning breeze, staying just a few steps ahead of his pursuers. Who they were, he had no idea, but he didn't particularly want to find out.

Coins clinked in his pocket from what he'd took from the vendor roughly an hour ago. He had a mind to believe that they'd hired a few to rough him up and get back what they had, but he wasn't sure. Most merchants didn't realize they were even gone if they didn't catch you in the act.

His boots hit the ground hard as he vaulted down a flight of stone stairs. Luckily, the landing had been good otherwise he might have broken something. He kept running, trying to disappear in the once-popular city. The fact that it wasn't anymore made it that much harder to get lost.

Rezdis enjoyed the chase, striding out and attempting to get behind a stone column and let them go past him. They hadn't seen him behind it, as they hadn't turned the corner yet. Many ran past, and Rezdis thought he'd lost them.

"Not quite good enough, boy," One with a long grey beard and oily grey hair looked at him. "Come on out."

Rezdis edged out, fingering the hilt of the knife that was in his pocket.

"We just want to talk," Another said, appearing behind the other man.

"Look at him," The grey-bearded one said, pointing at Rezdis. "He's exactly what we've been looking for."

"What do you mean?" Rezdis snapped, irritated. "I'm not some slave. I'm too old to be an Unsullied."

The black-haired man that had joined him laughed, doubling over as if that was the funniest thing that he'd heard all day. He snorted and guffawed, clutching the other man's arm. "An Unsullied?" He laughed, his eyes glittering as he turned back to Rezdis. "No, thief, we have an offer for you."

"What is it?" Rezdis asked curiously.

"Follow us and we'll tell you. It's not…safe to talk about in the open," The grey-beard said, leading them both down the walking path towards a house on the edge of the city. A harpy was affixed to the door knocker, staring up at him.

Rezdis took a seat in a threadbare sofa that looked as though it had seen better days. Rickety wooden chairs sat throughout the place, as though it had large amounts of people there before. The bright purple, yellow, and orange paint had peeled, revealing the boring tan beneath. This house, like the Red City itself, had seen a much better age in the past.

"What is this place?" Rezdis looked around, seeing ancient-looking tapestries hanging from the walls. One was of a harpy, another an ancient battle, likely between Old Ghis and Valyria. The third and last was an image of a leader sitting beside a harpy.

"It is the Astapori headquarters for the Ghiscari Restoration," The grey-haired man spread his arms. "To restore Old Ghis and the splendor that went with it in this part of the world. We have followers in Meereen, Yunkai, Astapor, New Ghis, even Ghozai."

Rezdis frowned a little. They wanted him to join essentially a cult? "I'm sorry, I don't know what your name is, but I would rather not provoke the wrath of dragons. I'm out."

He started to get up but the black-haired one stopped him. "I am Azdis mo Hoak." He said. "We chose you, Rezdis. Do not throw this opportunity away." His eyes held a warning, watching him. "Your hair told us who you were. The natural black and red, that is the blood of the ancient Ghiscari. We offer you a place of power, one as an Emperor of the Ghiscari!"

Rezdis' head spun. There were plenty of people that had red and black hair. Not so many that had natural red and black hair, but still some. He knew that they were desperate, after Old Ghis had been destroyed by Valyria years before. "I'm sorry, but I am not going to have my head in the belly of a dragon. The war would be over in a moon's turn, and likely they would just finish off these cities out here. We're worth nothing to them."

"That's right!" Azdis exclaimed. "We're worth nothing to them, so why should we bow to them? Our ancestors would be ashamed of us, kneeling at the feet of the dragon just because we're scared of retribution."

Rezdis took a big sigh. "How do you even plan to make this work? Even if you could unite Astapor, Meereen, Yunkai and New Ghis, Valyria has dragons and their colonies in the West."

His eyes glittered as if he had anticipated the question. "I'm glad you asked, your Grace, we have been working on a purchase of some technology from the Dornish over in Westeros. Something that is supposed to be able to shoot down dragons. One bolt and they're dead." Azdis twittered with excitement.

Something stirred in him when Azdis said your Grace. Power was intoxicating, and Rezdis wasn't one to complain if it was offered to him. "Enough to fight Valyria?"

"No," Azdis admitted. "But we could provoke the colonies into revolt, and Valyria would be faced with more than one fight. They've grown fat and arrogant in their golden city, let them attempt to fight a real war with people that have been waiting for this opportunity for years."

"I'm in." Rezdis proclaimed, a grin spreading onto his face. He may die, but at least he'd have some fun before he was fed to some dragonlord.

Part 3: Valyria

Naeresa laughed warmly as she watched her light-green colored dragon swoop down and attempt to char some meat that she'd gotten from her parents that morning. She smiled and ran her finger over his head. He was still small, but getting bigger. She had named him Jaegel after one of her uncles that had died a few years back.

"No, silly," Naeresa grinned and focused him back towards the meat that was still pink on the stone steps.

Jaegel spat fire from his mouth, but it was only a little fireball and it hit the meat square. She was impressed at the accuracy of his fire, but it only turned the meat a slightly lighter pink color. His fire wasn't hot yet, having just been birthed about a month before. Naeresa had always coveted a dragon of her own, her house was known for it, after all. Jaegel was perfect. She had just waited fourteen years for him, but she thought he was well worth the wait.

"He'll be a mighty dragon when he's older," Her father said as he went by her on the steps.

"Where are you going?" She asked curiously, poking her head up from the spectacle of her dragon.

"Council meeting," He looked apologetic. "Apparently Lord Lenitheos went missing in Lys, one of the colonies. He was due back today, but his son has said that he hasn't returned, and nor has their mother."

"That's too bad," Naeresa said kindly, sitting up in her lilac-colored dress.

"It is," His tone was filled with worry, looking out at the fountain that was outside of their castle. "I fear what would happen should it be known that he has died. The younger Lenitheos…he covets power even more than his father. I don't know how that's possible."

Naeresa gave him a slight smile. She had heard all the court intrigue before. Lenitheos arguing with Raellarys, Lenitheos making an enemy of Aglarion, it was a common sight. They believed that they should be true emperors, like the Ghiscar had before they had fallen. They had even suggested that the other eight families become like the Otrarchs of Old Ghis, regional governors rather than equals with them.

Some were impressed by the suggestion, but some, like her father, had been irate by the suggestion. They had gone too far this time; her father had warned. When Lord Lenitheos and his wife had gone to the colonies to conduct a tour of Lys, Tyrosh, and Volantis, the council had breathed a sigh of relief. But rumors flew that they were attempting to get the colonies behind them so they could fight the other ruling houses if possible.

"Love you," Naeresa called after him as he went towards where his dragon stayed.

It was a short flight from their castle to the capital of Valyria, and her father's dragon was one of the biggest in existence. Named Raerys after an old cousin that had made a flight all the way to the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai, the dragon was huge. All red, with glittering black eyes like coal. He took flight, and Naeresa tilted Jaegel's eyes up to watch him fly.

"That'll be you one day," She said with a smile, letting him try to nip at her silvery hair. "That doesn't taste good." She said with a frown and tugged it away from him after a minute.

Naeresa sighed as she sat on the steps, watching Raerys' fading figure into the clouds. She wished that she could disappear like that. She had only been to Valyria a few times with her father, on Raerys' back. She wished to go again, to find someone to share her life with. She knew that her father was waiting to make a decision, whether to marry her into the family like he had done, or to attempt to cultivate new allies by marrying another family.

"We'll fly everywhere," Naeresa whispered to Jaegel. He gave a happy chirp as if in agreement.

Houses of Valyria

Raellarys - the wealthiest and finest of all of the Houses, they have been around for ages. They can tame dragons, but they are less known for it than others.

Aglarion - known for some of the finest dragonriders in all of Valyria. They aren't as powerful politically, but make a difference elsewhere.

Valeris - some of the finest commanders have come out of the House of Valeris. All of these houses are dragonriders, or are capable, but Valeris has some of the smallest dragons in their possession.

Caltalos - magnificent breeders of dragons. Some of the strongest dragons come from this house, and they often either sell them or keep them to themselves.

Nartarys - Very knowledgeable economically. They know how to count their coins. They work well with House Raellarys, who they often compete with for power.

Galtaris - The maker of Valyria's fleet - the house that sank Old Ghis. They are dragonriders like the rest, but they prefer the water more than anyone else.

Lenitheos - the savviest political house in Valyria. Often in charge of going to other empires and to the colonies, they are known for being very intelligent.

Maengaris - Known as the 'House of Manglers' - House Maengaris is more involved with alchemy and sorcery than most of the others, they do a lot of blood magic.

Doryreos - A very secretive house. They know a lot about spying and keeping tabs on people. They have a lot more power than it looks. Not as into dragonriding as some others.

Author's Note: To be clear - all houses are dragonriding families. Anyone inside them can ride a dragon. Any of them can also be into blood magic and alchemy. It's just that some families are known for it. I also know there's like 40 Valyrian families in canon, but I figured chopping it down to 9 would make it easier to track in this. You can also submit Free City people, or Slave City people as well. This is about Essos as a whole, not just Valyria. This is a SYOC! I encourage you to submit multiple people, both Valyrian and Free City, Slave City, etc. It will span the continent, not just Valyria. If you want to submit to a city that hasn't been mentioned, please do so! I will create characters around them, or have them go to another city. I would like some characters to be involved with the Ghiscar, some with the Free City plots, maybe some Braavosi, and definitely Vallyrians. Submit to your heart's content! I'll deal with large amounts much better than small :D

Also, my other two stories are still going on. I'm just very bored.

Form (also on profile)

Name:

Age:

Gender:

Sexuality:

City of Birth:

City location (could be different):

Allegiance (Valyria, Ghiscar, their city, themselves, etc.):

Occupation:

Marital Status:

If single, is there any dos or don'ts for romances:

Personality:

Backstory:

Appearance (keep in mind what they look like in general. Check the wiki if you don't know!):

Dragonrider? (only yes if Valyrian, and can still be no if not):

Weapon of Choice:

Opinions of…

Valyria:

Old Ghis/Ghiscari:

Free Cities (colonies):

Aros Orlin:

Rezdis na Shaliz:

Naeresa Caltalos:

If they are Valyrian (high Valyrian) answer these questions…

*Any major opinions on other Valyrian houses:

*Ambitions:

*Marriage inside family or outside?:

If they are Ghiscari, answer these…

*Will they support a New Ghiscar Empire?

*Will they support an emperor?

*Why?

If they are Free City citizens, answer these…

*What do they think of revolt against Valyria?

*Could their opinion be changed? If so, how?

*Would they band with other Free Cities or not?

The form looks long, but a lot of it is optional or short things. I hope to receive a lot of good feedback as I really love the idea. Happy submitting!