SURVIVING CITIES OF THE

SARNORI KINGDOM:

SARNATH, THE CITY OF TALL TOWERS:

TL;DR:

Founded by:

The early Tall Kings, descendants of the first Sarnori tribes that unified the Sarne basin

Current Ruler:

High King Merythar, a stern monarch famed for his dazzling court and unyielding pride, seeking alliances with the Free Cities and Valyrian successors to defend Sarnor’s last bastions.

Political Standing:

Capital of Sarnor, central seat of culture, nobility, and military command.

Trade And Economy:

Exports: Grain, horses, glasswork, fine textiles, and precious metals mined in the southern hills.
Imports: Exotic goods from Yi Ti, luxury items from across Essos, and spices from the Summer Isles.

SARNATH, GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY:

Sarnath, the City of Tall Towers, rests deep in the southern Sarne basin, where the river winds as a jeweled serpent through fertile grasslands. It is known for its towering spires that dominate the skyline, some plated with precious metals or inlaid with stained glass that catch the light in brilliant hues. The largest and oldest cradle of Sarnori culture, Sarnath is the political, economic, and cultural hub of its people.

Established long before recorded history, the settlement’s position at the crossroads of river trade routes made it fabulously wealthy for millennia. Vast plains of grasslands and river tributaries ruled over by feared Horse-lords, Sarnath quickly became the seat of Sanori ambition and refinement. Over centuries, the people of Sarnath have traded their nomadic traditions for towers and scholarship, becoming masters of architecture, art, and economy.

Now, that legacy teeters on the brink. With the fracturing of the Doom and the Rise of the Dothraki, already countless Sanori cities have been razed. Sanori’s allies grow scarce, and the High King has dispatched envoys to Oros and the Free Cities, offering trade concessions, mine rights, and even noble marriage alliances in exchange for aid against their encroaching enemy.

SARNATH, DISTRICTS AND NOTABLE QUARTERS:

The Palace with a Thousand Rooms:

The beating heart of Sarnath, a labyrinthine palace complex of crystal domes, marble courts, and endless hallways. It is both fortress and wonder, said to house entire neighborhoods within its walls.

The Tower District:

Sarnath’s skyline is a forest of towers, each belonging to a noble family or guild. Competition to build higher has led to feats of engineering unrivaled outside Valyria, with some towers capped in bronze, obsidian, or colored glass.

The Golden Market:

A sprawling bazaar where merchants from Braavos, Pentos, Qohor, and even Yi Ti gather. Perfumes, gems, silks, and steel flow like rivers here, overseen by merchant lords who wield nearly as much power as the King.

The Bastion Quarter:

Home to the royal guard and Sarnath’s standing army, this quarter is ringed by walls studded with watchtowers. The Bastion Quarter is a fortress within a fortress, a grim reminder of the growing threats beyond the river.

The Temple Gardens:

Sarnath’s spiritual center, where marble temples and bronze shrines to dozens of gods line perfumed gardens and reflecting pools.

SARNATH, TRADE AND ECONOMY:

For centuries, Sarnath was the jewel of the Sarne River basin; its wealth is unparalleled among its sister cities, but much of it is now diverted to fortifications, mercenaries, and river patrols.

Exports: Grain, horses, glasswork, fine textiles, and precious metals mined in the southern hills.

Imports: Exotic goods from Yi Ti, luxury items from across Essos, and spices from the Summer Isles.

TL;DR:

Founded by:

The first Tall King, Orvel the Bronze-Bound, placed a river tower at the Sarne’s northern bend to watch for raiders.

Current Ruler:

The Military Council of five members which serve for life, known as the Quinquevirate.

Political Standing:

One of the last surviving Sarnori cities, maintaining a fragile alliance with Saath and Sarys while acting as a military outpost and trade gate between the Dothraki Sea and western Essos.

Trade And Economy:

Exports include: Hardened steel weaponry forged in the city’s ancient smithies, River pearls from the Sarne, and Black granite from nearby quarries used in fortifications.
Imports:Grains, preserved fish and meats, raw ores, and leather goods.

RATHYLAR, THE SENTINEL OF THE SARNE:

RATHYLAR GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

Rathylar sits on the point where the Sarne River curves sharply northward before spilling into the sea, its foundation laid on a high bluff. The cliffs provide natural defense, while a series of ancient stone docks gives it command over river trade. Its walls, dark basalt ringed with iron, are among the oldest in Sarnor, built for siege warfare even before the Rise of the Dothraki. Fertile plains surround the city, littered with abandoned farms and heavily guarded caravans flowing alongside river traffic.

Rathlyar and its walls were raised by the Tall King’s in the time before recorded history. Unlike Saath or Sarys, Rathylar was never designed nor intended to be a cultural center; instead, it is a fortress intended to hold the northern trade routes and prevent southern invasion.

After the sack of Sarys, Rathylar became a refugee city for those fleeing the Dothraki. And though the Dothraki have encroached several times, the Sanori have managed thus far to hold the city, attributed to it’s river-based resupply. Ruled by a military council, rather than a single Lord, Rathylar is one of the few Sarnori cities where the petty squabbles of noble lords have been quelled, and survival has become a collective defense.

RATHYLAR DISTRICTS AND LAYOUT:

The Iron Crown Bastion:

The citadel of Rathylar, a black-iron crowned fortress with eight towers. Its high central keep houses the council chamber and the garrison commander’s quarters.

The Riverward Docks:

The lifeblood of Rathylar’s economy, lined with heavy warehouses, boathouses, and barracks. Thick chains can be drawn across the river to block enemy ships.
The Chains of Orvel: Colossal iron chains anchored into stone towers that can be raised to block river passage, dating back to the city’s founding.

The Crown Market:

A triangular plaza built between three massive towers where all legal trade occurs. Here, spices, gems, and exotic goods pass through under the city’s heavy tariffs.

The Old Quarter:

The original settlement surrounding the fortress, now a maze of narrow streets, shrines to the Tall Kings, and inns serving wary merchants and mercenaries.
The Hall of the Fallen Kings: A somber memorial where statues of each fallen Sarnori king stand, many broken and defaced by time.

The Watchfires of the Bend:

Beacon towers along the Sarne’s northern turn, their flames a signal of danger for hundreds of miles.

RATHYLAR TRADE AND ECONOMY:

Rathylar’s wealth lies not in luxury but in strategic control. Its tariffs on goods moving up and down the Sarne keep it alive even as other cities crumble. The city is a staging ground for caravans heading east and a river hub for northern ships.

Exports include: Hardened steel weaponry forged in the city’s ancient smithies, River pearls from the Sarne, and Black granite from nearby quarries used in fortifications.

Imports: Grains, preserved fish and meats, raw ores, and leather goods

TL;DR:

Founded by:

Warrior-kings of the Tall Men to secure maritime access and repel Ibbenese fleets, acts as a defensive outpost guarding the Sarne’s northern mouth.

Current Ruler:

The Council of Alders, a council of nine members from nobility, merchants, and military commanders within the city. Members serve a term of four years.

Political Standing:

Ruled by the Merchant Council, a senate of shipwrights, admirals, and merchant lords. Saath prides itself on autonomy and distrusts both Sarys’ diplomacy and Braavosi influence.
Historical Rivals: Sarys and Ibben; centuries of naval clashes forged Saath’s militant identity.

Trade And Economy:

Exports include: Hardened steel weaponry forged in the city’s ancient smithies. River pearls from the Sarne. Black granite from nearby quarries used in fortifications.

Imports: Grains, preserved fish and meats, and leather goods

SAATH, THE IRON PORT:

SAATH GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY:

Saath is located at the northernmost fork of the Sarne delta, where the river spills into the Shivering Sea along the northern edge of Essos. Built on rocky outcroppings and fortified embankments that strategically guard the river trade and maritime routes, the terrain around the harbor serves as a natural chokepoint for the naval stronghold and its austere industry. Shipyards, ironworks, and towering drydocks dominate its waterfront while the black basalt seawalls guard the natural harbor.

Originally founded to counter Ibbenese incursion from the Shivering Sea, the city is modest in scale, and its architecture reflects a humble beginning as a fortress port. High walls serve as a defense against raiders, while a central market square dominates the gates to the river docks. Narrow streets wind towards the harbor, Saath’s lifeblood, lined with two and three-story homes, small shrines, and warrens of small shops and warehouses. Within the long quays of the ancient stone harbors, Saathi grain-barges can be found side by side with the ships of Ibbenese whalers and Lorathi traders.

Saathh has become synonymous with military innovation: iron-clad ships, ballista-mounted decks, and hardened mercenary companies are but a few of its lauded exports. Having become a rallying point for mercenaries from across Essos since the Doom, Lorathi pirates and even exiles from the Free Cities and beyond can be found for hire among the mercenary guilds. While her rivalry with her sister city, Sarys, stems from trade dominance, the two cities often ally when Dothraki raids threaten them both.

In Saath, women hold significant power, particularly in mercantile and naval matters, with some commanding fleets or leading mercenary companies or guilds. Here, the Sarnori warrior culture runs deep as women are often employed as sailors, captains, and strategists.

SAATH, DISTRICTS AND NOTABLE QUARTERS

The Iron Ward:

A heavily fortified citadel district housing the Merchant Council, Saath’s treasury, and its elite garrison. Its walls are decorated with trophies from past wars.
The Council Hall: Once a merchant’s palace, it houses the ruling assembly. Its tapestries are faded, yet its genealogies remain proudly displayed.

The Hall of Currents:

A plain stone temple on the banks of the River Sarne serves as a place of worship and remembrance, where candles burn for the drowned and for the fallen cities of Sarnor.

The Iron Docks:

An industrial marvel where massive slipways and cranes hoist ships from sea to shore. This is where Saath’s renowned warships, sleek, iron-reinforced galleys, are built.

Oathbound Square:

The heart of Saath, an open-air forum surrounded by mercenary guildhalls. Here, sellswords, sailors, and traders barter contracts under the watch of bronze statues depicting ancient Tall Kings.

The Lantern Rows:

Narrow merchant streets lit by colored oil lamps; here, Saath sells its famed ironwork, whale-bone crafts, and northern furs.

SAATH, TRADE AND ECONOMY

Saath thrives as a naval power and war economy rather than an importer of luxury goods. Its river brings grain, furs, and timber from the inland, while its harbor draws whalers from Ib and merchants from Lorath. Foreign coins dominate its markets, though some local coppers are still minted with the image of a scythed chariot wheel.

Exports include: Forged iron, ballistae, armored hulls, whale-bone tools, salted fish, and furs.

Imports include: Lorathi glass, Braavosi coin, Qohorik steel, and mercenary labor.

Its shipyards are the pride of the city, producing vessels sought after by Free Cities captains and northern traders alike.

TL;DR:

Founded by:

The merchant-princes of early Sarnor, who established the city, sought control of the Sarne’s mouth and maritime trade with Ibben and Lorath.

Current Ruler:

The Triarchate of Nets and Crowns, a triumvirate council of noble houses and merchant guilds.

Political Standing:

The city's current survival hangs on several mercenary contracts and fragile alliances.
Historical Rivals: Saath (its sister city) and Ibben; they fought several naval

Trade And Economy:

Exports include: Dried fish, river pearls, dyed silks, carved ivory, and lumber from inland forests.

Imports:Grains, preserved fish and meats, and leather goods

SARYS, THE DELTA JEWEL:

SARYS, GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY:

Overlooking the Shivering Sea, Sarys sits at the eastern end of the Sarne delta, its foundation built atop tidal marshes and reinforced by granite levees and canal walls. The delta’s winding waterways make Sarays a natural harbor, while the twisting channels deter large-scale naval attacks. Its docks sprawl across river channels and salt flats; however, the lowland terrain makes it vulnerable to landward assault, forcing the city to rely heavily on mercenaries and a strong river fleet.

Founded as a trading hub, its rivalry with Saath defined much of its early history, as the two cities vied for supremacy over the delta. Sarys’ wealth came not only from trade but from fishing, shipbuilding, and pearl-diving in the Shivering Sea. During the period after the Doom, Sarys’ river fleets became a lifeline for refugees fleeing the devastation of the interior. The city grew overcrowded, and many noble estates became barracks or warehouses. Though Sarys’ navy repelled two major Dothraki incursions at the Sarne delta, the constant threat has drained its resources.

SARYS, DISTRICTS AND NOTABLE QUARTERS

The Pearl Quays:

A labyrinth of canals, boardwalks, and drydocks. Sarys’ fishing fleets and merchant galleys dock here alongside long-haul traders from Ibben, Braavos, and Lorath.

The Delta Crown:

A fortified palace-complex on artificial islands at the delta’s heart. This is home to the Triarchate, the city’s ruling body. It is accessible only by guarded causeways and gondola bridges.

The Glass Market:

Named for its glittering stalls and imported Lorathi glassworks, this plaza is the hub of international trade. Exotic goods from the east arrive here, taxed heavily to fund Sarys’ defenses.

The Old Stones:

The city’s original outer wall, a maze of ancient temples and narrow alleys. Shrines to the Tall Kings are interwoven with merchant mansions, many repurposed to house refugees and stockpile food.

The Seaward Walls:

Granite ramparts facing the sea, decorated with colossal sturgeon carvings and beacon towers to warn ships of shoals.

The Hall of Nets and Crowns:

The Triarchate’s council chamber, adorned with mosaics of river gods and ancient Sarnori kings.

SARYS, TRADE AND ECONOMY:

Despite the danger from roving Dothraki and Lorathi pirates alike, Sarys still thrives as a gateway to the Shivering Sea. Guarding the delta from incursion, her trade is the lifeblood of the kingdom.

Exports: Dried fish, river pearls, dyed silks, carved ivory, and lumber from inland forests.
Imports: Lorathi glass, Ibbenese whale oil and furs, Braavosi textiles, Qarthian spices.

Its shipyards are famed for producing sleek, shallow-draft river galleys designed to navigate the twisting delta channels.

VEIL OF FIRE GAME OF THRONES INSPIRED ROLEPLAY ​

SURVIVING CITIES OF THE

SARNORI KINGDOM:

SARNATH, THE CITY OF TALL TOWERS:

TL;DR:

SARNATH, GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY:

TL;DR:

RATHYLAR, THE SENTINEL OF THE SARNE:

RATHYLAR GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

TL;DR:

SAATH, THE IRON PORT:

SAATH GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY:

TL;DR:

SARYS, THE DELTA JEWEL:

VEIL OF FIRE
GAME OF THRONES INSPIRED ROLEPLAY