The Fourteen Flames, also called the Fourteen Fires, is a chain of volcanoes spread around the Valyrian Peninsula. Before the fall of the freehold, the ring of volcanoes lit up Valyria at night. However, at the height of the Valyrian Empire, the volcanoes around the peninsula erupted, resulting in a cataclysmic event that ended the reign of the dragonlords and their dragons.
As the slaves mined under the Fourteen Flames, they suffered greatly as the toxic fumes of brimstone roasted their lungs. According to the Kindly Man, their suffering led to the creation of the Faceless Men.
History
Before finding the dragons, the Valyrians were a group of sheepherders, but after discovering the beasts hidden beneath the Fourteen Flames, they rose to challenge the Old Empire of Ghis. After destroying the Ghiscari in the fifth war, the Valyrians became the most powerful empire in Essos. They eventually learned slavery from the Ghiscari and employed slaves in the mines beneath the Fourteen Flames.
Life was tough for the slaves of the Valyrian Freehold as they toiled in constant agony, searching for precious metals under the veins of molten rock. The worst of them went to the deepest throes of the volcano to die in the red darkness. For the slaves, their lives were pure pain and suffering as digging shafts deeper created intense heat that wore their bones and spirits. Sometimes, they were scalded by hot water when they pushed through a wall. They also got killed by firewyrms, and a line of burnt-dead corpses followed the digging trail.
According to the Kindly Man at the House of Black and White, it was in the slaves’ agony that one of them called upon the Many-Faced God, begging him for death. The first servant arose to give him the gift of mercy in a world of peril.
The Doom of Valyria
The Doom of Valyria is the cataclysm that killed most dragons and their masters. It began with the explosion and eruption of all the volcanoes surrounding the peninsula, followed by a rain of molten crushed rocks and ash from destroyed mountains. The earth heated up so much that even the dragons could not withstand and burned. The massive earthquakes shattered the Valyrian Peninsula, separating it from the destroyed Lands of the Long Summer by the Smoking Sea.
Though many people believe the Doom was a natural event, others state a reduction in the magic that prevented the Fourteen Fires from erupting caused it, as many mages got assassinated when the dragonlords fought each other. After the fall of the Valyrian Empire, many believed that any sailor who saw the remnants of the Fourteen Flames would die a gruesome death.
Relevance in A Song of Ice and Fire
A Feast for Crows
After Arya reaches Braavos, she becomes a servant at the temple of the Many-Faced God. The Kindly Man asks her who she is, and when she says ‘no one,’ he tells her she lies. He advises her to let go of her past to become no one. As Arya works in the temple, she notices the worshippers who drink from the fountain and die.
The Kindly Man later hears Arya whispering and asks what she is doing, and she replies she is saying the names of those she wants to kill. The priest then tells Arya that nobody, except the Many-Faced God, determines who lives or dies. He tells her to discard all she came with, and after she completes the mission, he sits her down to give her the history of the Faceless Men.
According to the Kindly Man, the Faceless Men originated from the mines of Old Valyria. Deep under the Fourteen Fires, slaves toiled to bring their masters gold, silver, and other precious metals. As they came from different nations, they prayed to multiple gods, and one of them realized all their prayers were the same.
According to the Kindly Man, the slaves greatly suffered in the Valyrian mines as smoke burned their lungs and the oven-like temperature seared their skin. And in their suffering, one cried out to his god, begging for death. The first servant answered his prayer and ended his mystery. Eventually, he recruited other slaves and began bringing the gift to the doors of the Valyrian masters. According to many scholars, the assassinations caused the immense chain of volcanoes to erupt, leading to the Doom.
A Dance with Dragons
While aboard the Salaesori Qhoran, Tyrion Lannister sees a red glow over the Valyrian peninsula. He discusses with Moqorro and wonders if the old prophecies were about multiple Targaryens as he had met Aegon Targaryen Rhaegar’s long-lost son.
The Fourteen Flames: The Fires of God
Though the Valyrian Empire was one of the most advanced civilizations to rise from Essos, they were also one of the most brutal. Even more devilish than the Free Cities of Slaver’s Bay, the Valyrians used slaves for blood magic, with rumors of them using babies. They treated others terribly, and many people saw their downfall as their judgment.
FAQs
What would have happened if the Fourteen Fires did not erupt?
If the Doom of Valyria never happened, the Valyrian Empire would have spread to the entire corners of the known world. They would have built outposts in Westeros and Sothoryos. The andals would be second-class citizens of the Seven Kingdoms, and slavery would thrive on the Western continent.
Was the Fourteen Fires helpful to Essos?
Yes. The Fourteen Fires was what saved Essos from the dread of the Valyrians. The death of most dragons balanced the power dynamics of the known world. Before, the Valyrian Empire had untold authority. However, their destruction created a more peaceful world.
What caused the Fourteen Fires to erupt?
Though many people claim the Doom was a cataclysmic event, others say it resulted from the reduced magic of the mages keeping the Fourteen Fires from erupting. Some people blame the deaths of mages caused by assassinations from the Faceless Men.
What happened to slaves in the mines under the Fourteen Fires?
Life was worse than hell for the slaves under the mines. They inhaled toxic fumes that burned their lungs, and they had to work till they either died of exhaustion or got killed by either heat or dangerous animals.
