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Well I said I'd get around to this at some point, of course I'd get the inspiration when I'm trying to do a dissertation...

So this is the world a good deal prior to the Long Night, and very few advanced civilizations have emerged just yet. The colours are more representative of cultural groups, whether they be tribal or city-state based, with the divisions between them representing different cultural trends whether it be by geography or emerging settlements. Some like Sarnor and Ghis have emerged as the dominant forces of their respective regions with their cultural contemporaries still muddling about around them, soon to be conquered, absorbed, or brought to heel in some way, shape, or form.

Anyway probably the most interesting part of this map is the inclusion of a large cohesive empire in the southern continent of George R.R.Martin's world. Well as I mentioned in the note there is in-world lore about a great civilization which predated Ghis, Valyria, and Yi Ti; the Great Empire of the Dawn. Now there's plenty of speculation about these bad boys since they are only hinted at, and tbh there are much more cohesive theories than my own, however they all seem to place the GEOTD in the far east, since most of the mythology of it comes from east of the Bone Mountains. Now I always thought of this as a bit of a cop out really, the mystical folks who discover magic and tame dragons etc etc were benevolent Asian mystics. That just doesn't seem like it would fit the world. Not that my idea is any better though.

Basically the abandoned city of Yeen is deep in the heart of Sothyros. It's massive, made from Lovecraft-esque oily black stone blocks of gigantic proportions, repels even the hardy jungle plant life, is feared and worshiped by the troglodytes who live nearby, and apparently has pretty much cursed every attempt to resettle it. If anywhere is going to be the origin point of Shadow and Blood magic I figure it'll be this creepy fucking place. My theory went that from here these evil bastards expand trade networks east and west. They puppetise a Ghiscari city-state, using them as autonomous slave raiders in exchange for helping to unite their neighbours into an empire. They do the same to Yi Ti where their puppet dynasty is known forever as the "Bloodstone Emperor" who ate human flesh, married a tiger woman, and pretty much screwed the pooch. They go even further east and found the city of Asshai, shrouding the whole land around the city with shadows and demons. And of course since they love blood magic they manage to create fucking dragons by dicking around with Wyvern eggs in god damn Valyria. I've also a theory they created the Naathi as the perfect slave race, the people of the reverse question mark island, since they're noted to be the most beautiful and docile people in the world and yet live on an island full of carnivorous butterflies who eat outsiders... gonna have to call some tampering with forces man was not meant to on that one.

Oh a lesser note they also head west and make contact with the Ironborn, who I always figured arrived before the First Men and were a bit more advanced.

Anyway the inhabitants of Yeen fuck up their shadow magic, breaking their empire, bringing darkness onto the world, and ushering in the Long Night. In the far east this is known as a time where shadows and demons legitimately attached the living. West of the Bone Mountains however the Rhoynar just record this as a time of severe cold where their river froze over, and we've no idea if the Ghiscari or Valyrians even have a legend of the time. In Westeros of course the White Walkers invade, in this theory however they've not caused the Long Night, nor do they have anything to do with what happened with Yeen, rather they're an elemental species taking advantage of the lack of sun to expand south. Yee haw!

Anyway some hero manages to defeat the shadows/snow and that's the end of that. The Yeen empire collapsed into slave revolts and being devoured by their shadow puppets. However it's not all over for them, some surviving sorcerers head over to Valyria to try and restart on one of their outposts, teaching them all about the wonders of blood magic, genetic tinkering for the lols, dragons, and fucking around with magical stone.

Case closed boys!

Anyway the paler colours for Yeen represent land of military or research interest only (pale) and land technically under their suzerainty but not really touched (palest).

Here's a blank version of the map if anyone's interested.

Description
Well I said I'd get around to this at some point, of course I'd get the inspiration when I'm trying to do a dissertation...

So this is the world a good deal prior to the Long Night, and very few advanced civilizations have emerged just yet. The colours are more representative of cultural groups, whether they be tribal or city-state based, with the divisions between them representing different cultural trends whether it be by geography or emerging settlements. Some like Sarnor and Ghis have emerged as the dominant forces of their respective regions with their cultural contemporaries still muddling about around them, soon to be conquered, absorbed, or brought to heel in some way, shape, or form.

Anyway probably the most interesting part of this map is the inclusion of a large cohesive empire in the southern continent of George R.R.Martin's world. Well as I mentioned in the note there is in-world lore about a great civilization which predated Ghis, Valyria, and Yi Ti; the Great Empire of the Dawn. Now there's plenty of speculation about these bad boys since they are only hinted at, and tbh there are much more cohesive theories than my own, however they all seem to place the GEOTD in the far east, since most of the mythology of it comes from east of the Bone Mountains. Now I always thought of this as a bit of a cop out really, the mystical folks who discover magic and tame dragons etc etc were benevolent Asian mystics. That just doesn't seem like it would fit the world. Not that my idea is any better though.

Basically the abandoned city of Yeen is deep in the heart of Sothyros. It's massive, made from Lovecraft-esque oily black stone blocks of gigantic proportions, repels even the hardy jungle plant life, is feared and worshiped by the troglodytes who live nearby, and apparently has pretty much cursed every attempt to resettle it. If anywhere is going to be the origin point of Shadow and Blood magic I figure it'll be this creepy fucking place. My theory went that from here these evil bastards expand trade networks east and west. They puppetise a Ghiscari city-state, using them as autonomous slave raiders in exchange for helping to unite their neighbours into an empire. They do the same to Yi Ti where their puppet dynasty is known forever as the "Bloodstone Emperor" who ate human flesh, married a tiger woman, and pretty much screwed the pooch. They go even further east and found the city of Asshai, shrouding the whole land around the city with shadows and demons. And of course since they love blood magic they manage to create fucking dragons by dicking around with Wyvern eggs in god damn Valyria. I've also a theory they created the Naathi as the perfect slave race, the people of the reverse question mark island, since they're noted to be the most beautiful and docile people in the world and yet live on an island full of carnivorous butterflies who eat outsiders... gonna have to call some tampering with forces man was not meant to on that one.

Oh a lesser note they also head west and make contact with the Ironborn, who I always figured arrived before the First Men and were a bit more advanced.

Anyway the inhabitants of Yeen fuck up their shadow magic, breaking their empire, bringing darkness onto the world, and ushering in the Long Night. In the far east this is known as a time where shadows and demons legitimately attached the living. West of the Bone Mountains however the Rhoynar just record this as a time of severe cold where their river froze over, and we've no idea if the Ghiscari or Valyrians even have a legend of the time. In Westeros of course the White Walkers invade, in this theory however they've not caused the Long Night, nor do they have anything to do with what happened with Yeen, rather they're an elemental species taking advantage of the lack of sun to expand south. Yee haw!

Anyway some hero manages to defeat the shadows/snow and that's the end of that. The Yeen empire collapsed into slave revolts and being devoured by their shadow puppets. However it's not all over for them, some surviving sorcerers head over to Valyria to try and restart on one of their outposts, teaching them all about the wonders of blood magic, genetic tinkering for the lols, dragons, and fucking around with magical stone.

Case closed boys!

Anyway the paler colours for Yeen represent land of military or research interest only (pale) and land technically under their suzerainty but not really touched (palest).

Here's a blank version of the map if anyone's interested.