GAME OF THRONES

HOUSE PALIDYN

Our Voice is Power, Our Words are Death and Destruction

Dorran

Long ago the continent of Essos was once ruled by the Ghiscari Empire. For three thousand years they ruled unchallenged. Then came the Targaryens who overthrew the Ghiscari and ruled Essos from their land of Volyria. The language of Volyria became the language of the Volyrian Freehold Empire. What made the Targaryens stand out above their predecessors is their ability to control and ride Dragons; among other things.

As with the Ghiscari the Volyrian Empire would not last. The ring of Volcanoes that surrounded the Capital erupted, one right after the other. The eruptions shattered the continent, killing many Dragons and people. The event became known as the Doom of Volyria. All was not lost in the Doom. Foreseen by Princess Daenys Targaryen the Dreamer, she convinced her father to move their House across the sea.

They landed on an Island and built the Great Fortress of Dragonstone. Many years later Aegon son of Aerion and Valena conquered Westeros with his Dragon Balerion the Dread and his sister wives Visenya and Rhaenys along with their Dragons Vhagar and Meraxes. For three thousand years the Free Cities of Essos feared the Targaryens would cross the Narrow Sea and conquer them once again. It never happened.

The Targaryen rule in Westeros was marked by the tyrannical and mad rule of a few Kings. It was the Dance of Dragons that ruined the power of the Targaryens and was the catalyst to their eventual downfall. Meanwhile in Essos the Free Cities prospered, most of them practiced slavery and traded in slaves. The City of Braavos was the exception as the city was founded by runaway slaves and it eventually became the most powerful city in the world.

MEEREEN

The Free City of Meereen like most cities of Essos was founded by the Ghiscari and later conquered by the Volyrians. Meereen is the largest of the free cities and is known for its Great Arena and pit fighting. The nobility of Meereen live in the stepped pyramids. The greatest of them all is the Great Pyramid, located on Meereen's central plaza, which stands eight hundred feet tall. There is a score of lesser pyramids in the city, but none stand even half as high. The Great Pyramid has a great bronze harpy on top of its apex. The pyramids are built in the colors of the noble house occupying them; The pyramid of Pahl is pink-and-white, the pyramid of Naqqan is green-and-black, and the great pyramid of Rhazdar is yellow-and-green. The pyramid of Kandaq is said to be modest. Between the pyramids the poorer districts are located.

Like the other Free Cities of Essos Meereen's economy is based on slave trade. The government gets twenty percent of all income from the fighting pits as part of its income. Taxes are collected from citizens and merchants who wish to sell their wares in Meereen. The city is ruled by the council of Masters. Each Master has a different responsibility, with regards to ruling the city.

Among the citizens of Meereen live a husband and wife by the name of Palen and Adine. The two had been married for the past three years and in all that time they had not had a child. Out of desperation Adine suggests adopting, but Palen is offended by the idea. Adine is a good cook and works at a tavern to help make money. Palen is a carpenter by trade.

One hot summer night as they were getting ready for bed, a knock at the door disrupts that plan. When Palen opens the door, no one is there. He takes a step down, but stops when his foot touches something soft. He had not applied full pressure on his foot when he did and as he raises his foot a baby cries out. "By the goddess!" He exclaims as there is a trimmer that shakes the street.

Adine comes to the door and gasps. Palen tries to hold his wife back, but she pushes pass him and picks up the baby. He immediately stops crying and smiles at her. "No!"

"What do you mean no?" She asks looking at her husband

"Just what I said. I mean gods know where that baby came from."

"An answer to my prayers."

"Don't get attached woman." The baby is eight pounds, very healthy and has pale blue eyes. "In the morning I am taking him to the orphanage."

"Why so he can be sold as a slave or worse." Adine grabs Palen by the arms, "Am I a good wife?"

He sighs, "Yes…"

"Have I ever asked for anything?"

"No." He replies with a broken heart.

"Then I ask this one thing…For three years now we have been trying to have a child. If you love me then please…let me have this child and for me. Please be a father to him."

Palen kisses his wife, "What's his name?"

She smiles, "Dorran, after my father."

The next day Adine takes the baby to the Tavern with her which surprises the people she works with. With baby Dorran in a pouch tied to her back she performs her duties. But all people really talk about is the small earthquake they felt. People come from all over the city to the Tavern for Adine's food. After a hard day at work she returns home before Palen. She feeds the baby then sets up her husband's supper having prepared it at the Tavern. Palen comes home to a plate of fish, bread, potatoes mashed, corn and a pint of ale. It takes him some time, but eventually Palen comes to love Dorran as the son he always wanted.

When Dorran turned five Palen began teaching him the trade of carpentry. He also taught him the life lessons a father should teach a son. Dorran was a quick learner, very intelligent and zealous about the things he learns. He possessed a wisdom beyond his years and had an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Dorran was also very charismatic and charming. Most young boys and girls that he meets becomes his friend.

Nine years passed in happiness for the family. Then one night as Palen and Dorran walked home they are ambushed by hooded men. Palen had just been paid his wages and the money was needed to pay taxes for the month. "MOTHER!" Dorran screams entering the home.

"My gods what happened?"

"Ambushed…" Palen has a broken nose, a swollen eye, and a missing tooth. He is bleeding from his head and he walks with a limp. "They…robbed me…took the money." He explains in between the breaths he takes.

"How will we pay the taxes? If we don't pay, they will take us as slaves."

"No!" Dorran defiantly says, "We should leave the city and head for Braavos."

Palen looks at Dorran, "A man does not run from his problems."

"No, but he does what he can to protect those he loves."

"Come to bed and rest…In the morning Dorran and I will go and see the Lord Marshall."

If it was justice, they were seeking Adine did not get any. She returned home and told Palen what happened. "Pack your things we are leaving for Braavos…"

"How are we to get there?"

"I have been saving some gold…We can buy passage on a ship."

Early the next day they leave for the docks separately. All seems to be going well when they are caught by soldiers. "I was robbed!" Palen says to the Tax Magistrate.

"And was the robbery reported to the city guard captain?"

"I went down…My husband was still recovering."

"Then why did you try to leave the city without paying your taxes…" Palen tries to speak, but he is cut off. "Enough! No more lies…You are guilty of not paying your taxes…And this is your third offense and you were trying to leave…The three of you will placed on the auction block as slaves for failure to pay your taxes!"

"That is not fair!" Dorran says and receives a slap to the face from a guard. Palen, Adine and Dorran are stripped of their clothes and placed in a holding cell with other slaves to be sold at auction. A week passes by before they are taken to the auction.

Twelve slaves are sold before Palen and his family are put up for bidding. "I have a family here to be sold together or individually…"

"I will bid one hundred pieces for the boy!" A man yells interrupting the Slave Master.

"One hundred gold Harpies do I hear one ten…" Another man raises his hand. Then the man who made the first bid raises his hand. Two others raise their hand, before Dorran is sold to the man who made the first bid for a hundred and forty gold Harpies.

"Mother! Father!" Dorran cries as they drag him away.

"Shut up!" A slave guard yells striking Dorran in the head. He is placed in a wagon with other slaves of different ages. The man who bought him is wealthy merchant traveling from city to city on his way back to New Ghis. Twelve miles from the city they stop to make camp. As they traveled Dorran heard tales about the man who bought him and his taste for young boys. His father had told him about such men and what to do if anyone ever tried something on him.

His heart starts to race when a guard comes to get him. He is taken to the Master's tent. "Unchain him and leave us." He commands from behind a changing curtain. He comes out completely naked. "Come here boy…I won't hurt you."

Dorran nervously walks up to the man, "Can I have a kiss…" He boldly asks.

The man smiles, "You've done this before…I am a little disappointed, but…"

When he bends down to kiss Dorran, he takes his index finger and quick as lighting he jabs his finger deep into his Master's right eye. Dorran had trained to do it on fruit. His father taught him to get the person in close and stab him in the eye. The Master roared in pain swinging his arm he strikes Dorran across the face breaking his nose and busting his lip.

Dorran hits the floor as his Master thrashes about wildly. He scurries across the carpeted tent as a guard enters. "Master!" The Guard runs up and tries to comfort him.

"Get me a healer! And find that little shit!"

By now Dorran had crawled out of the back of the tent and rolled down a hill where the caravan had set up camp. He runs off into the night with all his might. He crosses the river Skahazaban and lays down on the Northern Riverbank. After several hours he starts walking north. Eventually he stops as the sun is blazing down. Just before he sits down, Dorran hears horses. He spots a group of men on horseback carrying the sigil of the man who bought him. With an adrenaline surge Dorran runs to a rock formation and climbs, as he is climbing an arrow strikes the rock near his arm. Another slashes him in the ribs just before he reaches the top.

Dorran takes up a few hands sized rocks and throw them at the men. One man is struck in the head and he falls from his horse. Dorran throws rocks while they shoot arrows up at him. Then the Captain dismounts his horse and starts climbing. The rock formations is thirteen feet up. Scared and feeling helpless a power rises in Dorran. His eyes turn blue even where the whites should be. He opens his mouth and shouts. "Hotauth!" The side of the rock the man is crawling up shatters and he is struck by the force of the unseen power.

The man is pummeled by broken rock, his bones are shattered, and his armor ripped apart. When he hits the ground, the sand explodes creating a crater. The rest of the soldiers ride off in fear. Dorran places his hand over his mouth in disbelief of what he had done. A long while passes before he decides to climb down.

After a mile he comes across the Captain's horse. The horse trots away when Dorran approaches it. He tries to coax the horse by whistling, but still it will not heed him. Dorran does not give up and eventually the horse allows him to get close. There are water and wine skins on the saddle bags along with food. He takes a sip of water, eats, and then mounts the horse using a rock.