Old Empire of Ghis

The Old Empire of Ghis is an ancient empire that was founded long before the Valyrian Freehold. It had its golden age thousands of years before the arrival of dragons and was one of the earliest known governments to practice slavery. Upon the rise of the Valyrians, a bloody war ensued, leading to the fall of Old Ghis. However, after the Doom of Valyria, some cities with ancestry from the old fallen Ghiscari Empire reverted to their former practices.

The Ghiscari Empire had an emblem of the harpy. When the Valyrian Freehold eventually fell after the Fourteen Fires erupted, the cities in Slaver’s Bay reverted to using the old empire’s harpy.

Old Empire of Ghis Details

• Name: Old Empire of Ghis.
• Capital: Old Ghis.
• Religion: Mixed.
• Location: The Continent of Essos.
• Year of Destruction: Five Thousand Years Before the Events of A Song of Ice and Fire.

Emblem

The Old Empire of Ghis uses a harpy as its symbol. It features a fanged woman with leathery wings, the legs of an eagle, and a scorpion’s tail. She also holds a thunderbolt in her claws.

Government

There are no records of the Ghiscari Empire. Many have speculated eight regional governors ruled under an emperor.

People and Culture

The Ghiscari Empire comprises about a dozen races and cultures with different mongrels. The men of the cities of Slaver’s Bay wear their hair in different shapes and have yellow cloaks with copper discs sewn into them. The nobility wear tokar and eat many foods, including octopus stew and duck eggs.

History

Origins

Grazdan the Great, who built the city of Old Ghis, founded the Empire of Ghis. As the empire rose, the Ghiscari employed a fighting tactic where their highly trained warriors fought in lockstep legions. With the nearly unbeatable military tactic, the Ghiscari Empire quickly rose in prominence. On becoming the most dominant force in Essos, the empire expanded south to the Basilisk Isles and Sothoryos. It built colonies like Gorgai and Gorosh.

Fall

After ruling Essos for thousands of years, the Ghiscari Empire faced a never-before-seen enemy with the might of incredible creatures of fire called dragons. The new adversaries called themselves the Valyrians, and in five great wars, the Ghiscari Empire would try to gain the power of the dragons. The brutal wars involved other adversaries like the Tall Men and the Kingdom of Sanor and lasted for years, and though the Ghiscari won some battles, they were no match for the dragonriders and dragonflame. 

The once-proud Empire of Old Ghis eventually fell in the fifth Ghiscari War, and the Valyrians destroyed its great pyramids and soil.

Aftermath

Upon the fall of Ghis, the Valyrians became the new dominant empire in Essos. They learned slavery from the Ghiscari and used it to advance their government. When the Freehold fell, the slaver cities of Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen overthrew their overlords and created governments ruled by good masters, wise masters, and great masters.

During the Century of Blood, the Dothraki razed the northern Ghiscari colonies, and they became ruins called Vaes Mejhah, Vaes Efe, and Krazaaj Has.

Legacy

After the Fall of the Ghiscari Empire, most of its history, language, and culture faded away. High Valyrian became the new language, and the only reminder of the once mighty Ghis was crumbling walls and stepped pyramids. However, the Unsullied are said to have a similar fighting style, even though they are eunuch slaves.

Relevance in A Song of Ice and Fire

A Dance with Dragons

After Daenerys arrives at Meereen, she becomes Queen and abolishes slavery. With the great masters dead, a new resistance, the Sons of the Harpy, causes mayhem by killing Unsullied soldiers and freed slave men. To end the violence, Dany agrees to marry Hizdahr zo Loraq, one of the nobles. After marrying him, she reopens the fighting pits of Meereen. However, during one of the events, Drogon flies in. To prevent destruction and death, Dany rides away on him.

The Old Empire of Ghis: The Fall of A Giant

One thing A Song of Ice and Fire does well is it shows just how quickly empires fall. Before the Valyrions, one could argue that the Empire of Ghis would last forever as it had an almost unbeatable army. However, everything changed with the arrival of the dragons.

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