JORAH: At its height, the Valyrian Freehold ruled over half the known world.
Not bad for former shepherds.
But the Doom fell on them and sank their capital into the sea.
Now Volantis is the ember of old Valyria,
ensuring its flame does not go out from this world,
as any Volantine will tell you.
Pentoshis say the same about Pentos, Lysenis about Lys, and so on.
But after enough time in the nine free cities
it's hard to see them as anything but ashes of glory.
Volantis is the oldest, the first colony of Valyria.
After the Doom,
the Volantines tried to rebuild the empire under their rule.
They failed.
Not least because the last Valyrian with dragons, Aegon Targaryen,
entered the war against them.
Now they are content to dominate only their lower classes.
Or so they say.
Braavos is the strangest.
A city erected not by the Freehold, but against it.
A labyrinth of illusion and deceit to hide the refugees from Valyria's slave lords.
After the Doom, the city emerged from the shadows
to become one of the greatest banking centers in the world.
A man can get anything in Braavos,
for a price.
Especially death.
Your own, if you offend one of the swaggering swordsmen that pollute the city.
Or, if you're very rich, or very desperate,
anyone else's.
Lys is the easiest of the free cities,
full of pleasure houses catering to every taste,
no matter how peculiar.
Many men lose themselves in Lys and they're never found,
at least alive.
When a man runs out of coin,
the Lysenis may grant him their other speciality, on the house.
Poison.
Pentos is the most ruthless.
The Magisters make a great show
of choosing the Prince of Pentos from the great families,
and granting him the powers of trade, justice, and war.
As long as he checks with them first.
On the New Year, to bring good fortune to Pentos,
this prince must deflower the Maid of the Field,
and the Maid of the Seas.
l confess, l don't know how each is chosen
or what becomes of them after serving their purpose.
But if a crop should fail or a war be lost,
the Magisters will slit the prince's throat and choose another.
The other free cities are known for what they make.
Myr has its lenses and finery.
Norvos, its axes.
Qohor, its smiths who can re-forge Valyrian steel.
Tyrosh, its colors.
l'm sure Lorath adds something to the world but l can't think of it.
Frankly, the nine of them are more alike than they would care to admit.
They hire the same soldiers to fight the same wars
for the same rulers, the rich.
Be they called Magisters, Archons, or what have you.
When a Dothraki khalasar approaches,
they gift the same tribute to avoid the same sacking.
For thousands of years,
the disgraced of Westeros have drained east to pool in the free cities,
where a man of honor counts for less than nothing unless it raises his price.
Better men than l have learned that what a man sells for gold,
he can never buy back.
He must earn it by fire and blood.