This page contains up to date information about the current state of Essos.
The Free Cities
The Free Cities have lurched from one crisis to another, from the great War of the Brothers to the Great Spice War, the Free Cities have not had much peace between them.
In the last fifty years, Braavos became the unquestioned powerhouse of the daughters, wielding a great deal of soft power over the other cities. It was not until the War of the New Princes that the might of Braavos was toppled.
Recently, there have been peacemaking efforts, spearheaded by Prince Varyo Velaryon of Lys, notably the Concert of the Daughters, but relations remain strained.
Pentos
As soon as it looked as if Pentos was on the road to recovery following its sack at the hands of the Dothraki, the city was plunged into civil war. After the son of the Archon of Tyrosh was taken prisoner by privateers in the service of the Haratis family, the Council of Magisters was rent with schism - on one side, the Haratis, and on the other, the Narratys. Baerro Narratys personally murdered the Prince of Pentos for allowing the city to slide into war, and each faction vying for control has appointed their own prince. There is fighting in the streets between the respective faction's civic guards, and the Haratis family have seized all ships in the Bay of Pentos. The Archon's forces, along with the sellsword company the Golden Banners, sail to support the Narratys faction.
Braavos
After Myrios Nestoros perished in the War of the New Princes, Terro Fregar rules as the Sealord of Braavos.
Lys
Under the rule of Prince Varyo and his wife Lyaan, Lys has gone through radical changes in the last few years. Varyo led the city in rebellion against Myrios Nestoros' Braavosi hegemony, smashing the forces of the Sealord on the Tyvis Plains, freeing Volantis and the other cities.
At home, Lysene society has been restructured, with slavery now heavily reduced, and a new upper class of Freedmen and women. Recently, chaos was avoided when Varyo allowed the forming of an elected Assembly to aid in the city's rule. Varyo and his family now preside over the most stable and powerful of the Free Cities, looking to build a lasting peace between the other daughters.
Qohor
Nothing has yet been established in the Role Play.
Norvos
Norvos was sacked by the Dothraki and the Sealord of Braavos financed its reconstruction.
Myr
The Dorthraki attempted to sack Myr but were defeated.
Tyrosh
Tyrosh recently elected a new Archon, Maelys Drahar, and is in the midst of an intense political struggle between two opposing factions.
Volantis
Volantis experienced a slave revolt which was quelled by Danae Targaryen and her dragon. Afterwards, she executed the three ruling triarchs and had the high members of both political parties sold into the slave trade of Mantarys, Meereen, and Asshai. Danae placed the captains of the Volantene fleet in charge of the city before leaving.
Volantis was then sacked by a Dothraki horde at the machinations of Myrios Nestoros of Braavos, who arranged for the city to fall under the rule of his new Braavosi Empire. As support dwindled at home, Volantis would become the increasingly marginalised Sealord's base of operations.
After the War of the New Princes, the city was left in the rule of an Interim Council, led by sellswords whose collective work saw the city into darker times than it has ever been. After the machinations of remaining Freeholders within the city, and the collaboration of the increasingly powerful Red Faith, the sellswords were removed and elections for Triarch were arranged.
These elections were postponed due to unrest in the northern cities under Volantis' control, growing unhappy with providing for a master now weaker than them. Moredo Maegyr was sent by the council to Lys to gain Varyo's support for Volantis' claims to the Rhoyne, however some suspect that it was a ploy to remove the dashing and popular, yet dangerous and piratical man before the Triarch elections.
Volantis took part in the Concert of the Daughters, sending the Lady Freeholder Nohia Rogare, and re-enforcing their stance on Slavery.
Lorath
Lorath has been largely unaffected by upheaval in Essos, but recently an attempt was made on the life of the Harvest Prince, one of the three figurehead rulers of the city. His body was found outside the manse of Ghael the Tall, a prominent Lorathi citizen, who has since gone missing with his family. There are rumors that this is the beginning of a plot by one or more parties to take control of the city.
Western Essos
The Stepstones
Bloodstone, the site of the Council on Bloodstone, was a pirate haven before Rickard Ryswell came into power, but now laws have been made to resemble Westerosi lands.
Kingdom of Sarnor
Click to read more about Sarnor.
The Dothraki Sea
The Dothraki have become bolder in recent times under leaders such as Khal Joro, extending their reach to Slaver's Bay and beyond.
The Shivering Sea
Nothing has yet been established in the Role Play.
Valyrian Peninsula
Nothing has yet been established in the Role Play.
Slaver's Bay and Ghiscar
In Meereen, the monarchy that Daenerys Targaryen put in place continued under Hizdahr zo Loraq. However, the practice of slavery soon returned to the city and the monarchy remained relatively unstable, with several revolts from the Great Masters and slaves in the past two hundred years. The Loraqs relied on their wealth and allies in Slaver's Bay to help cement their rule.
After a violent revolution and subsequent sacking, Meereen is still struggling to remain stable.
Ever since Daenerys Stormborn, Astapur has been a mere shadow of its former self. Some say that Yunkai continues to hold influence over the development of the Red City. Yunkai itself has grown three times larger since the time of Daenerys.
Currently, New Ghis and Yunkai, along with Qarth, are attempting to stablize the fallen city of Meereen.
Lhazar
Cleos Baratheon led a small host through Lhazar to the town of Hesh, pillaging the fields for supplies. Despite attempts to compensate those who had lost their livestock and produce to the army, the majority of Lhazareen are now struggling to make end's meet.
Qarth
Qarth is still ruled by the Enthroned, who battle for power with the influential merchant guilds. Recently they have instituted a General Assembly so that the common man's voice can be heard, but the rich are using it for their own political ambitions. Criminal gangs that support the merchant guilds roam the poor districts of the city. The Warlocks of Qarth compete with foreign magic guilds, like the Shadow Guild from Asshai, who base themselves at the Ports of Qarth where most of the poor live despite the wealth that flows through the area.
Yi-Ti
Nothing has yet been established in the Role Play.
Patrimony of Hyrkoon
The three city-states known as Kayakayanaya, Shamyriana, and Bayasabhad are still guarding the Bone Mountains and their respective roads from Jogos Nhai raiders, although their strength in numbers has waned over the course of over a century. Raiders and conquerors now have an easier time crossing through the Bone Mountains, though the warrior maids of Hyrkoon still have yet to allow a total defeat from the Jogos Nhai, and invaders from the west are still too disadvantaged to mount a full-scale attack on eastern Essos. The Great Fathers still rule over their city-states, delegating most martial authority to the commanders.
Eastern Essos
Nothing has yet been established in the Role Play.