Author's Note: WHAT IS UP MUCKAAAAACHUNGAAAAAS!? IT'S TRAVEZTY! And I'm here today to bring you the Prologue to the new Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire Project that I had promised! I know many of you are likely disappointed that I had stopped "A Nocturne of Ice and Fire", and truthfully, I'm just as disappointed in myself as well. To be honest, after I had finished that chapter, I had written myself into a corner, and I've been struggling with finding a way to get out of it. So I am sorry for not finishing off what I started, but I am honestly stuck at that point. I tried several times to get myself out of that bind, but nothing I did worked out great.
However as I was trying to figure something out, I ran across a few Reddit Posts (by CW_73, izzyobro, and AliceCringekung on Reddit) that gave me a few ideas, due to the fact they created Affix Tables for the Valyrian Family Names, which, inspired by them, I did some of my own, using the names of those with Valyrian Style Names from People, Places, and Dragons to create an, albeit incomplete, Affix Table for each of the names I've found! And one of these names that, I discovered, was the combining of Draco- (from the Valyrian City of Draconys), and -la (from Baela Targaryen), and it ended up creating the a Vampire-esque name in Valyrian: Dracola. As such, it got me thinking about doing one of two options.
Option A: I completely restart all of Nocturne of Ice and Fire, and create a much more believable storyline where I have it that Mircea, Vlad, and Radu all have Valyrian names and actually come from a Cadet Branch of House Targaryen named House Dracola, descended from Prince Duncan Targaryen and Lady Jenny of Oldstone. This would require I redo the ENTIRE story, like I did with the previous chapter and take up a bunch more time that I couldn't even figure out how to fix.
Or
Option B: Create an entirely new story from scratch featuring this New House, but, instead of starting completely from scratch, instead I take on elements from my previous GoT Stories: "A Nocturne of Ice and Fire", "Four Dragonriders of the Apocalypse", "The Dragon Has Three Heads", "The Dragon of the North", "Begun by Blood, By Blood Undone", "Draculya: A Song of Ice and Fire", "Role the Dice: Dragonforce", "Role the Dice: Thrones of the Elder Scrolls", and, most importantly, "Valyria Reborn".
Out of the Two options, the second one, while the most challenging of the two, seemed the most rewarding, and, thankfully, I've actually had some help. You see, my girlfriend, Wolfflight of ShadowClan, didn't like Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire, namely due to all the violence, sexual content, and, worst of all, the incest. However, over the years, we have developed our own little systems when it comes to certain parts of these things, and, recently, after I asked for her help in creating a Dragon Oc for this story, I showed her the image of Caraxes from House of the Dragon, and immediately she fell in love with the "snakey-wyvern boi" as she calls him. As such, I had her cooperation, and as we're developing our own system for creating our own RP-Verse for HotD/GoT/ASoIaF, she's also, passively, helping me develop the Valyrian Empire for this story. So while progress on this story will be slower than what I would like, I think it is best in the long run that this happens. Aside from this, I have decided to take this story slow and update it as I feel like it, as, unlike "Spirit of the Wolf" and "Goblin Slayer: The Table" I have not had much trouble with them in comparison. Sure I'm having a little bit of trouble trying to get through the recent chapters, but, honestly, with those, I have a bit of an idea on where I want to head with them. With SotW, I at least have an idea of what I want to do next with the chapters, and I'm planning on using my BotW/TotK playthroughs to help me do my playthroughs, and I have had a bit of help from "bladeofthebookworms" to help me get myself set up, and with GS:TT, I have the Manga to help me pace myself as I write out the chapters!
In any case, I hope you guys can accept my most humble apologies for not continuing "A Nocturne of Ice and Fire" and can at least give this story a chance. Again, I can't promise when I'll upload the next chapter, but I am planning on doing this story and, if I can find my way out of my corner, I'll continue Nocturne of Ice and Fire. Anyway, that's enough out of me, please be sure to Follow, Favorite, Review, and Share this story with anyone and everyone you know who likes House of the Dragon/Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire Content! Catch ya on the Flipside! DRACARYS!
Prologue: The Valyrian Empire, History and Lore
History, by Emperor Monteghul Dracola
The Valyrian Peninsula, at one time, the greatest civilization this world had ever seen outside of Yi Ti. That is, of course, until the Doom came… While a great many Dragon Lords saw the Prophecies of Daenys Targaryen to be nothing more than a fantasy, a figment of a low-ranking house's nightmares, only 7 Families of Old Valyria took Daenys's Dreams seriously: Three of the Houses were that of Daenys's own House of Targaryen, House of Belaerys, and the most powerful of the Dragon Lords, the Dracolas,while the other four were their Archonic Houses of Velaryon, Qoherys, Baratheon, and Celtigar. Though many of Old Valyria declared these Houses as cowards, House Dracola's Head, Lord Aurion Dracola, and his half-brother, Ayrmidon Belaerys, knew that one could never be too careful.
When the Doom came, Aurion and Ayrmidon decided to reclaim Valyria for their Houses, raising an army in Qohor and marching into the ruined remnants. What they saw would have turned normal men mad from grief and despair, for the peninsula had not only been shattered into several islands, but the Lands of the Long Summer had been scorched, drowned, and blighted, while Firewyrms roamed Valyria, seemingly unchallenged. However, Aurion was not deterred, and neither was Ayrmidon. With tenacity, hard work, and no small amount of magic, the two brothers would reclaim the cities of Oros and Draconys, and would revitalize the Lands of the Long Summer with the volcanic ash that was left over from the Doom, sowing it into the ground to restore the fertility of the lands, while the Sea of Sighs, thankfully, remained unharmed by the Doom's effects and were still filled with fish and had fresh water rivers flowing from the Painted Mountains to the North.
In time, the Valyrians who were had traveled to the Free Cities for a sojourn had learned of Valyria's Fate, and heard the call of Emperor Aurion, who, thanks to the soldiers and other hired help, whom he had enticed with the treasures of the Fallen Houses, had restored the Cities of Valyria. Not only that, since the Dracolas had not only shown their resourcefulness, but also their ability to lead men into a damned world and restore it. These actions inspired the returning Dragon Lords to bend the knee to their new Emperor… For the next 364 years, the Dracolas would rule, passing the crown from eldest child to eldest child, regardless of gender. Over these four centuries, the Valyrians would change and grow, even abolishing slavery, reconfiguring their traditions to match the changing of the times. Eventually, the Valyrian Empire would reveal itself during the Reign of King Aerys II Targaryen of Westeros, and I, Emperor Monteghul, would personally approach the Valyrian Houses of Westeros in friendship, in which all but King Aerys welcomed me with open arms, in which the Mad King attempted to burn me alive with Wildfyre. That would be his biggest mistake, as I revealed to him my fire magic and made my escape with my family, not wishing to be part of Westeros for this.
After the Seven Kingdoms had rebelled against the Targaryens, I personally invited Houses Velaryon and Celtigar back to their homeland, only for them to politely refuse. However, I would come to learn about the two Targaryen Children that escaped their Family's fate, and I knew I had to strike while the Iron was hot. When King Robert Baratheon attempted another assassination on the children, my men only barely managed to save the five year old Princess Daenerys and her loyal knight, Ser Willem Darry, who died during the trip to the Empire. Knowing of the madness that would grow within her had her blood remained purely Targaryen, I had called upon my children to request one of them adopt the young Princess as their own daughter, in which, magnanimously, my youngest child, Princess Visenara, would take on the responsibility of performing the Blood Binding Ceremony with her husband, Tyrax, the two of them taking her own as their own daughter.
Now, I sit upon my throne as I can hear the gods and my ancestors calling for me… It is only a matter of time until Alykar takes the Throne, and now I can only hope that, before my days are over, I can meet my grandchildren, and see them happily married before I die… However, if anyone dares to threaten my family again while I still draw breath… They will learn the same lesson that the "Good Masters" of Astapor learned… To never press the Reversed Scale of a Dragon…
Religion by Empress Lucena Dracola
Back in the time of Old Valyria, our Ancestors allowed for a multitude of Gods and Religions to take their place within our borders. However, due to their great power and their dragons, they grew arrogant, cruel, and inhumane, so much so they had forgotten our own Gods, and established themselves as above them. This was answered with the same level of cruelty and inhumanity as our ancestors had once shown to their fellow men, bringing the Doom upon us. Sometime Later, during Emperor Aurion's explorations of the Old Cities, he had discovered the ancient Temple of the Elder Dragons had somehow survived. It was here that Aurion and his half-brother, Ayrmidon rediscovered our gods, and thus, once more promoted them as part of our people's Identity and Religion.
According to our oldest surviving texts, long long ago, while our ancestors were still shepherds, the Ghiscari Empire had found it's way into Valyria, where the Shepherds welcomed them into their lands, giving them Guest Rite and offering them shelter and food… The Traitorous Harpies backstabbed the generosity of the Valyrians, and attempted to capture and enslave the men, women, and children of Valyria. However, descending from the clouds were Twenty Great Creatures covered in scale armor and breathing down fire upon the invaders, and forcing the Ghiscari to flee back the way they came, and the creatures saved all those who had not been taken across the 14 Flames. These were the Elder Dragons, Divine Beasts who were so much larger than any of the most ancient dragons of Old Valyria…
These 20 Dragons landed and the largest of them all, with scales so black he blended into the shadows cast by his flames, and with eyes so full of power it was like he embodied it, approached the terrified shepherds. This Dragon told the terrified and frightened Valyrians that they could help them incinerate the Ghiscari, saying that he and his kin would not sit by while the Children of Valyria were exploited by the Sons of the Harpy, and so and his kin guided them to the tops of the Fourteen Flames where, amongst the molten rock, there were dozens of eggs situated within the craters. This God, Balerion, offered them the aid of his children in achieving Wealth, Land, and Power in exchange for tending his children and treating them as their own blood, and accepting his blood within them. Out of the hundreds of Valyrians who stood there, hesitant to take their deals, 40 of them stepped forward, promising their houses would do so…As such, the 20 Elder Dragons would take 2 from each of the 40 and grant them a goblet filled with their blood, granting each of person a portion of their respective God's Power. They were then told to bathe in the fire and find their bonded dragons, as such, they would do so, and upon rising from the molten rock, their hair was left white and eyes of a deep violet, and they would each emerge with an egg that would immediately hatch. After this, the rest of the Valyrians would follow suit, with the First 40 would be given the title of Dragon Lords, as the 40 would each have the strongest connection to the Gods themselves.
It is from here our recovered texts reveal their names, but much of the information about each of these gods has been lost, however, what could be recovered has shed much light on them that many had forgotten… 6 of these Gods; Archonei, Essovius, Ghiscar, Valyron, Vermithrax, and Urrax, though their names have been recovered, and their statues restored, their scriptures and purpose within the Pantheon were all lost. However, the 14 who were recovered, their names, scriptures, statues, and places within the Pantheon, revealed that each of them represented the 14 Flames Volcanic Mountain Range.
Arrax, God of the Sky, brought nurturing rains that turned the molten earth and volcanic ash from the 14 Flames into rich soil to provide Valyria with bountiful harvests. Balerion, the King of the Gods, represented not only the Authority of the Imperial Family, but was the Dragon God Responsible for maintaining the Order of the World through the Cycles of Day and Night, the Seasons, and Time itself. Caraxes, one of the Twin Gods of War, represented the Darker Aspects of War, Vengeance, Violence, and the expression of humanity's darker side. Meleys, Caraxes's Twin Sister, represented the more Honorable aspects of War, the wisdom in strategy and tactics, the duels between two great warriors, and even War's aspects in maintaining peace through the work of policing and enforcing policies. Meraxes, one of Balerion's two brides, was the Goddess of the Arts, who encouraged artistic pursuits, especially that of song, dance, and poetry. Morghul, the White God of Death who has Many Faces, is the one who claims the souls of the living and maintains the purifying Cycle of Life, Death, and Rebirth. Despite his emotionless expression, Morghul was often described as the simplest, but also kindest of the Gods, using his Gift of Death to end the suffering of others, and encouraging his shapeshifting priests to do the same. Shrykos, the Black Twin Sister of Morghul, was also a Goddess of Death, but out of the gods that were recovered, the least is known about her, but what has been recovered is that she was like her brother, only she encouraged the Faceless Priests to give the Gift to those who sought to bring pain to others, thus exacting vengeance for the downtrodden and bringing justice to whose who desperately sought it.
Syrax, Goddess of Commerce, was a goddess who watched over artisans and the traders, giving them strong winds to sail their ships, and was the goddess who enforced any bargains and deals, to ensure that both ends of such offerings were fair, and that these deals were enforced should one attempt to back out. Terrax, the Serpentine Messenger of the Gods, was known not only for his form, but for his wanderlust, thus was the messenger of the gods, bringing messages and omens to those who needed them and, out of all the gods, was the most likely to interact with mortal heroes, and intervene when the machinations of the gods went too far. It is because of Terrax's love and protection of mortals, and his joy in watching them succeed that he is the most popular among the Gods. Tessarion, the Goddess of Love, is the second most popular of the Valyrian Gods, for it is she who not only forges the bonds of love between mortals, but also protects the sanctity of marriage, but also ensures the safe birth of children and their protection during their first five years of life. If a child does die before they turn 5 years old, it is said that the child or parents held no love for her, and thus she rescinded her protection.
Tyraxes, the youngest of the Gods and Lord of Trickery and Vengeance, is considered the most playful of the Gods, for he is considered the God who interacts with the people most, aside from Terrax and Tessarion. He often causes mishaps that have no explanation, mostly what could be considered harmless pranks in the mortal sense. However, if one should do something terrible, then a fatal mishap is often seen as Tyraxes being angry with the individual for their sins, and thus, has the permission of Shrykos and Morghul to end the life of the evil person.
Vermax, the God of the Sea, was responsible for Sailors and Sea Traders reaching their destinations swiftly, and, if caught in his brother Arrax's Storms, would provide safe passage through them. If the Sailors survived both the storms and the return trip home, the ship's captain and crew would have a pig and a chicken sacrificed to Vermax in gratitude before the meat would be cooked for the sailors to feast upon. Vermithor, the God of Justice, sits in judgment over the Souls of the Dead once Morghul and Shrykos have brought them the Gift. If a soul was judged good and true, they will be sent to the Verdant Paradise, an afterlife that are like the Lands of the Long Summer, where spring and summer never end, and the people enjoy sunny days for the rest of eternity. However, if a soul is proven to be evil and corrupt, their souls will be damned to the Frigid Wastes, where their souls will be forced to wander endlessly through the eternal snows and cold, searching for shelter and warmth, never truly finding either.
Finally, there is Vhagar, the Goddess of Magic and one of the two brides of Balerion, it is she who taught the Valyrians about Pyromancy and Haemocraft to not only build their civilization, but also to make their lives better. It is said she was the one who caused the Doom when the Valyrians thought themselves to be above Gods and Men. However, she spared those who still believed in her and were still humble in comparison to their fellow Valyrians, gave them visions that would warn them of the Doom, giving them a chance to flee and save themselves. Thus, when Emperor Aurion and Ayrmidon first came to Valyria, it was she who they sought out first, and offered offerings of incense and the sacrifice of a ram to honor and thank her for her mercy.
The Religion of the Valyrians, once abandoned by it's own people, has become one of it's greatest influences since the time of Aurion and Ayrmidon. People who wish to pray to the Gods seek out temples within their communities called Dens, where the Statues of the Gods are located, and, when one prays to a statue, the magic used to connect the mortals to their gods, if one is strong enough of faith, will be given a blessing for the day to accomplish what they prayed to do. The Seat of the Religion's Power is located within the Capital Itself, a great and wide bell tower/lighthouse fortress called the Dragon's Reach, is located, where atop the tower are 14 Valyrian Steel Bells that are each engraved with the images of one of the gods, and where flames atop the tower burn eternally, the crown of the fortress being a massive Dragonglass Structure crafted in a similar manner to a Glass Candle.
Military by Empress Selyria Dracola
In times long past, our Freeholder Ancestors almost entirely relied upon Dragons in order to be able to fight their battles for them, when our slave legions couldn't do it for us. Fools… As I had learned first hand, having a dragon is all well and good, but what if there are times a dragon cannot come to your aid, and where your own skills must be put to the test to defend yourself? A Hard Lesson that I, as a girl of 13, learned all too quickly when I was captured and gelded by the "Good Masters" of Astapor, only to be forced into Slavery until I was rescued by my husband-to-be and the armies of Valyria. It was during that time that I witnessed the Unsullied and I learned the Value of Hardwork and Training, as well as stole the training techniques of the Unsullied, and I implemented it with my own training. Apologies, I am getting off track…
The Armies of Valyria, now stronger since my return, had always focused on two things primarily, Pyromancy, and Haemocraft… However, the categorizing and organization of our specific soldiers were often left loosely defined, so, with several sleepless nights, I had managed to organize everything. Within our ranks now are organized categories of soldiers who fit together well. With great care, I split the military into the two groups as they fit within the Warriors of Flame, and the Warriors of Blood, and in each specific grouping of Warriors, I found a number of different soldiers and their specific uses.
For the Army of Blood, there are 3 specific units whom I have developed a fondness for… The First of these are the Anoarghurys, more commonly called Blood Hunters, those who utilize Haemocraft in order to unleash the latent magic within their blood to defeat their enemies. This grouping of soldiers, despite their versatile magic, are not dedicated magic users, nor can they use their magic for healing, but what they can do for their magic is debilitate their enemies with powerful blood curses and empower their weapons with Blood Magic to defeat their enemies. Next are Anovoktys, the Blood Priests/Priestesses, a grouping of warrior priests who utilize their Blood Magic not only to heal, but to control and manipulate their targets, turning them into living puppets. Finally, there are the Anosetys, Blood Mages, those who entirely dedicate themselves to the Study of Blood Magic, who utilize their arts to empower their magic and, in times of emergency, can sacrifice their own life force in place of costly magical components.
For the Army of Fire, there are also 4 specific units that I can easily identify, but a shared trait among these units is that they all share traits more commonly associated with Dragons. The First of these are the the Zalasentys, or Dragon Slayers, a group of monastic warriors who have trained in, what they call, a "Martial Art" that allows them to not only breathe fire like dragons do, but wreath their unarmed strikes in dragonfire as well, with the strongest of them able to dent steel plate, and with enough heat to cause it to glow hot with heat. After them are the Zalamisa, the Flame Guardians… These were what Dragon Riders in the Freehold Era were called, and these were what made up the backbone of their military… These Warriors rode upon the backs of dragons and decimated their enemies with dragonfire. However, due to the families that can actually ride dragons nowadays, this unit is considerably rare. As such these warriors don't see as much action as they used to, and are often kept within Valyria's Borders as guardians of our borders. Finally there are the Zalasetys, the Burning Sorcerers, these are those who, though some stroke of luck, were born with the physical traits of a dragon, minus the tails and wings, but most notably very durable scales, as well as powerful fire magic. These units are highly valued as their magic, while more limited than the Anosetys, is far more versatile once they grow strong enough, and thus provide a greater degree of firepower.
However, with these more common units aside, there are two other units that I have failed to mention, most notably due to their rarity, being even rarer units than even the Zalamisa… These are the Anoipra (Blood Eaters), and the Zalazantys (The Burning Knights). To say that these units are indeed rare is an understatement, as, for the entirety of the Valyrian Empire's History, you can count on your hands the number of these people in our records since the founding… That is right, there have only been a total of 10 of these units in our history, one of each is born every 80 years, give or take a year or two. Through this generation there were three Zalazantys born…! Apologies, once again I have become side-tracked… The Anoipra, or commonly known in the West as Vampyres, are a type of unit that are born rather than trained… While most people would consider them monstrous undead beings who feed upon the blood of the living, I assure you it is nothing more than fiction. The Anoipra are a rarely born Valyrian who has such a great affinity with Blood Magic that they are capable of drinking blood in order to heal their wounds. They are also known for having a taste for blood infused cuisine, which, thanks to their existence, has caused our own culture's culinary tastes to shift. In any case, Anoipra, despite being considered monsters outside of Valyria, are considered great people, as, thank to their enhanced senses, they are often involved with the police, and, in war, they are often the only ones who have the capabilities to sneak into an enemy's fortress unseen and assassinating key targets without being seen. Not only that, many of these Vampyres often obtain powers unique to the individual, one of them in the past having been able to transform into animals, another summoning swarms of bats to them. One of the Anoipra is actually alive today, and she is my beloved stepdaughter, Princess Alykar Dracola… While in truth she's my stepdaughter, my heart and soul consider her as much of a trueborn daughter as my sweet Valesanne. Apologies, I am rambling again…
The other of these two extremely rare units are the Zalazantys, the Burning Knights, and, like the Anoipra, one has to be born one to become one, but the only difference is where the Vampyres are born with a great affinity for Blood Magic, the Burning Knights are born with an affinity for Fire Magic. This affinity for Fire Magic has granted the Burning Knights the ability to transform into Dragons, often with Unique traits in comparison to other Dragons of the Past. These Dragon Forms they obtain are rather mutable, often being able to change in form with the Knight's Will and desires, however, most of these Knights eventually settle upon a singular form that either suits them the best, or, if they somehow manage to forge a bond with a Zalamisa, are reflective of both themselves and their bond with their partners. What is more, Zalazantys are able to communicate with dragons through forging a mental connection to other dragons, and, as such, many a Zalazantys has, in the past, when they are not serving in the military, are often acting as Dragon Keepers, protecting and tending to the Dragons of Valyria, ensuring they are happy, fed, and can forge a deeper bond with their riders. One of these units, like with my daughter, is within my family as well, although, by marriage rather than blood. This man is known as Termithrax, the husband of my stepdaughter, Alykar.
Valyria is an Empire that emphasizes our ability to survive, endure, and adapt to the changing times… While we don't have the dragon armies we once did, we have proven time and again that we don't need them anymore. True, we still honor and appreciate them, even care for those that still survive in the Wild, and even those who have been able to forge bonds with us. However, we will no longer rely upon the Dragons who we once wrongfully enslaved, even with the permission of the Gods. Zaldrīzes buzdari iksos daor, dragons are not slaves, and I, Selyria Dracola, who learned firsthand what slave soldiers are like, swear that never again will I, or the dragons, bend to anyone's will.
The Geography and the Doom of Valyria by Empress Naeria Dracola
Long long ago, the Valyrian Peninsula was much larger than it is today, and, according to our historians, was split into two regions that were bordered by the 14 Flames, the great volcanic mountain range. The Region on the Northern Half of the Peninsula was known as the Borderlands, a region that stretched from it's southernmost City of Oros to the Demon Road Cities of Ilinonys, Koros, and Mantarys in the North. From Oros there was only one road into the Metropolitan Region, through a narrow canyon between the three largest of the Fourteen Flames, Balerion to the West, and Vhagar and Meraxes to the East, in which the area was sometimes called the Hot Gates, or the Dragon's Gate.
Once one was able to get through this narrow canyon, which was protected on either side by hidden protectors, one would begin to see the rivers of lava which was the tell-tell sign of them entering the Metropolitan Region, which stretched from Tyria in the North, to Aquos Dhaen on the Southern Coast. It is here that in Old Valyria the region was covered in hills, mountains, and planes, with many of the cities expanding through most of the territories. Within the cities themselves there were great towering cities made of dragonstone, rock that was heated and molded with dragon flame, making it stronger and more heat resistant than even the strongest stones in the world, with rivers of magma flowing through the cities themselves, making Valyria's Streets unbearably hot by the standards of most who were not born in Valyria.
However, everything changed when the Doom fell upon Old Valyria… The Fourteen Flames, having been restrained by the magic of the Pyromancers of Old, finally broke through their magical bindings and unleashed their most terrible eruption before or since, exploding from their summits down to their foots, burning any miners beneath the mountains alive as magma erupted through the caverns. The Seismic activity from the eruptions going off all at once had broke the foundations of the lowlands beneath the cities and drove the earth downwards. The Sudden upheaval of the ground took many Valyrians beneath the ground, whilst others burned alive from the magma flooding the cities, were crushed beneath falling buildings or rocks, or those unlucky few suffocated from the ash left behind.
From this disaster, a Great Tidal Wave was sent out from the shores of Valyria as the last of the Earthen barriers fell. The Waters that were already being pushed out drowned the surrounding landscape, whilst the waters near the shattered peninsula rapidly rushed in, filling the voids left behind by the Doom. Those who were fortunate enough to either be outside of Valyria on holiday, or who had believe Daenys Targaryen's Prophecies survived what had occurred.
Nowadays, the Valyrian Peninsula is once again populated, with the Lands of the Long Summer, and all the regions along the Demon Road and Dragon Roads leading into Valyria having been restored through the sowing of the Ash that was left behind by Doom, along with long forgotten applications of Pyromancy and Haemocraft that allowed for the Restoration. The ruined structures of Old Valyria had been melted down and repurposed into newer buildings that weren't as tall or arrogant as the Old Structures, but retained a modified version of the original structures.
The land that was beyond the Fourteen Flames have now been shattered into 25 different islands, with the Three Largest Islands retaining the Cities that once flourished in Old Valyria, whilst the other 22 all carry fishing villages that provide for the rest of the Empire. These Islands are now homes to rolling hills and much lower mountains that had been scarred by the Doom, with forests and plains that still provide us not only with precious metals and gemstones, but also wood and stone that helped us restore what was once destroyed.
The Valyrian Empire is not as large or as powerful as the Freehold once was… Regardless, it is unwise to underestimate us simply because the rest of the world only sees how far we have fallen from our former glory… Through Natural Disasters, Civilizational Collapse, and other such hardships, Valyria will only grow stronger with each trial that doesn't kill us all outright… For it is never that easy to slay a dragon…
Culture by Princess Alykar Dracola
To many people around the world, we Valyrians seem like a very strange people… Our Cultural Practices as well as a few other things are indeed strange, however, there are easy ways to understand it, by trying to understand the origins of such cultural practices, and how they have evolved over time. One of the first things that many people would look upon us were the fact that we practiced forms of Incest between our families. To anyone who studied our culture, before the Doom, we often married between close family members at that time, brother to sister, nephew to aunt, niece to uncle, that sort of thing. This was done during that time as only the direct descendants of the Chosen could actually ride dragons, however, as the blood thinned out, the chances of a Dragonlord Family member bonding with a dragon would become smaller and smaller with each successive generation. As such, our incestuous practices were done in such a way that it would at least create a higher chance of a child being born with a high chance of becoming Dragon Riders. This, however, changed with the Doom, as my great ancestor, Aurion Dracola, had seen how the Incest had not only preserved our power to ride dragons, but it also caused children who were stillborn to born as grotesque humanoid creatures with Draconic Traits, like Wings, Scales, and even horns. Ayrmidon, his half-brother, had actually came up with an idea on how to retain this culture aspect, but modifying it so that we could still maintain our chances of bonding with what few dragons we had left, but at a much lower chance, around 50% at most. This ingenious move by Ayrmidon not only did it's job, but it also had an unforeseen benefit, which I will get to later.
Ayrmidon had revised the Practice of Incest, limiting it to that the closest one's blood relation could be to each other were that of Second Cousins, meaning that the two individuals, if they were of the same family, could only marry if they shared the same pair of great-grandparents, and anything closer was forbidden. However, there were a few exceptions to this, and this was under very specific conditions. Firstly, when it came to marriage between siblings, this could only be done between siblings who shared no blood relation at all, either through a sibling being brought in through marriage, or through one being taken in by said family.
The other condition was through the process of creating a Myrmidon. In essence, a Myrmidon, or Echo as some people call them, are essentially identical copies of the original, but of the opposite gender. These Echoes are created through a very complex ritual, which is so complex that not even I can grasp it, but the results speak for themselves. The Ritual creates an identical copy of the user with the opposite gender, but with a personality that is opposite, but complimentary of their original. The laws were revised upon the creation of the First Myrmidon, and how he and his Origin had fallen in love with each other. As they were considered the same person, the laws were changed to fit them, and the ritual, along with the resulting Echoes, became heavily monitored. However, with the success of children being born between Origins and Echoes without any negative health consequences, such as madness or deformities, there were many Valyrians who were for this movement. However, the same Polygamous laws were applied to the Echoes as well, and it was up to the Origin and Echo to define their relationship between them, and once it has been officially documented, it could not be officially changed unless both parties wished it so. When it came to the creation of Echoes, it was discovered in recent years that their creation actually fractured the personality of the Origin in order to create them, and, it would take weeks, if not months to recover from the fracturing and restore their original personality, and doing so multiple times would result in the origin eventually going brain-dead whilst the Echoes would remain functioning. As such, a limit to the amount of times an Origin could fracture themselves was put in place, limiting to 4 fractures per person.
The next part that many people of the world do not understand is the fact that we had abolished Slavery from our shores, and, honestly, I believe it was for the better. You see, at the end of the Ghiscari Wars, when the Freehold had finally beaten down the Ghiscari Empire after they had provoked us, they had offered to teach us about Slave Trade and how Slaves could be used as a free labor force. After performing research, I had discovered that, at the time, the Freehold had been suffering due to how dangerous mining under the Flames had become, due to the fact that many of our own people, despite their fire-resistance, had been refusing to mine due to the constant Firewyrm attacks. Though the Miners could drive off the wyrms, the problem was that the constant fighting made things more dangerous for the mines as the battles would make them unstable. As such, our ancestors needed a cheap and replaceable source of labor so that our more fire-resistant workers could not only focus on driving off and killing the Wyrms, but also focus their energies on more mundane work that required fire resistance.
As such, we adopted the practice of Slavery, but, unlike the Ghiscari, we had made it that our own slaves were actually more fairly treated than they were in the City-States of Slaver's Bay, we ensured they were protected, given our best medical treatment, and, above all, were given a chance to earn their freedom through labor, if they survived 5 years of service. This practice did actually work, as many slaves who managed to survive their endeavors in the trades they were assigned to, though, if one were chosen to be a miner, the chances of survival were considerably much lower. However, the Slaves who did earn their freedom were compensated and were either given transport back to their homelands, or they were given citizenship within the Valyrian Freehold. However, despite this practice, the Doom sealed the fate of every slave within Valyria's borders, many of which, when the few surviving records were found and recorded, were on their very last day and were about to earn their freedom.
This practice, due to the number of deaths that were involved, was abolished. Though we still purchase slaves, we actually free these people the moment they arrive in Valyria. Upon their collars being removed, they are given a choice, they could either return to their places of origin with the aid of our people, or, if they so desired, could be given room and board for 4 years, they would work in exchange for room and board, as well as medical services, whilst being monitored by the secret police called the Brazen Beasts, more on that later. Once these four years of monitoring are up, and the Brazen Beasts are able to confirm the Freemen and Freewomen aren't spies, the government will provide them with compensation and actual work. This way, Valyria gains a grace period in which to help the Freemen adjust to their new surroundings and culture, and then helps them get on their feet.
The Final Aspect of our Culture is actually one that I think that many people often forget about, and, thanks to certain Targaryens, often consider dishonorable and despicable: Polygamy. Back in the Freehold, any man or woman of the Dragon Lord Families had a right to claim as many wives/husbands as they desire. This practice was actually a relic from our times as shepherds, as, back then, the birthrate of men in our culture was, shockingly, lower than that of any other culture around the world, as, out of ever 5 births, only one child would be born male. As such, back in those times, it was customary for men to marry multiple women in order to increase the chances of men to be born. Not only that, some women in the ancient culture had actually been powerful enough to actually obtain multiple husbands, as the reverse also worked as well, as sometimes when a single woman had multiple men, they would also have a greater chance of giving birth to boys.
However, once the Ghiscari had attempted to take over our lands, and we bound our blood to the Dragon Gods, we began to expand upon this practice in ways that, nowadays, is considered disgusting by multiple Valyrians. Once we started mastering our powers, many Valyrians actually started acting like lions, where they would end up fighting each other in order to claim the women of another man, and would end up killing the children of the women to further their claim, and vice versa as well. This got so bad that a few civil wars erupted between us before the Ghiscari Wars. Later, after we started adopting Slavery, these conflicts actually slowed down as many Valyrians instead started taking slave concubines alongside their official spouses, which started to cause things to spiral out of control once more.
With the coming of the Doom, however, Emperor Aurion and his brother Ayrmidon had decided to reconstitute our Polygamous Practices back to the Old Ways, where one man or woman could only have up to 4 spouses of the Opposite Gender, and where battles for specific women or men would be prohibited of the perspective partner was unwilling, or settled in a duel between the two contesting parties, but never again could they expand beyond the limit of 4:1. This ideology actually worked out greatly, as, thanks to the abolishing of Slavery and the fact that, at the time, our numbers were so low that we were somewhat desperate. Thanks to the implementation of this practice, and how it has been heavily monitored for centuries, things have taken a turn for the better for us.
There is also one last aspect of our culture that seems to absolutely confuse and terrify everyone… The Zalazantys… These Burning Knights were actually born as a result of the magical contamination of Valyria after the Doom. Thanks to House Targaryen and their Stillbirths, many people know how that, when a Valyrian born of the Dragon Lord Houses is stillborn, their bodies are often mutated and malformed in comparison to most stillborn children. This is due to the fact that these Children are actually a very rare breed of Valyria called Zalazantys, Valyrians who have been born with the ability to transform into Dragons. However, how one becomes a Zalazantys has been a mystery up until recent decades. According to our Blood Mages, our ancient Ancestors, hoping to recreate the same process by which the Gods gave the Dragon Lords their ability to ride dragons, many blood mages took many Non-Dragon Lord Valyrians and used blood magic in horrific experiments that force fully bonded the blood of living dragons at the time to bind with that of these Freeholders. The result of these experiments would not bear fruit until many centuries later.
It was discovered by the Blood Mage's Guild that the Zalazantys are literally dragons in human form, but it is extremely rare for a Zalazantys to actually be born, due to the fact that conditions need to be just right for them to develop to term. A Zalazantys, unlike normal Valyrian Children, often die in the womb due to the conditions not being suitable to sustain the child, thus, when it is confirmed that a child is a Zalazantys while in the womb, the mothers must constantly remain in environments that, to those without a Valyrian's signature Dragonskin, must be unbearably, or even dangerously, hot, as the growing knights are extremely sensitive to cold temperatures. Secondly, the mothers must constantly eat foods that are made with blood as the main ingredient, as, according to the Blood Priests, Blood contains iron with in it, giving it it's red color, and the growing knights need that iron for their bones and teeth. Finally, when a Zalazantys is to be born, the mother must give birth within a massive fire that engulfs her body during labor, as the heat will protect the infant from the cold of the outside world for the first few hours of it's life, and will increase the chances they survive. If the infant manages to survive the next year without any health complications, then the Zalazantys will have been considered truly alive. I myself had to go through these extensive rituals throughout my entire pregnancy with my daughter, so now I can respect my mother-in-law for what she had to go through for my husband.
However, a Zalazantys, thanks to the traditions set in place by one of my ancestors, still persist to this day, for a Zalazantys, when they are considered alive, they lose all forms of inheritance rights, as they are now, unfortunately, considered property of the Empire, and thus are not considered people, more like animals to everyone but their direct family members. However, when I become Empress I will change this… My father, the Emperor, initially felt the same about Termithrax, but, thankfully, we managed to change his mind, and thus, while my husband can't inherit anything, our grandchildren, and any Zalazantys of the next generation will not have these limitations.
It is true that our culture is different from the rest of the World, but we are people, just like everyone else. Not every system is perfect, and not every culture is 100% right. However, for those of us who are able to look past the flaws of others, as long as nobody gets hurt, then there is beauty to be found in the cultures of other people. I am a living example of this, because I had fallen in love with a Zalazantys, and I now fight for their rights in the Empire… I won't allow my daughter to suffer as my husband has, nor will I allow his suffering to continue any further… I swear on my life…