Asshai by the Shadow is dying!

[Jaak]

Vaes Dothraki is territorial big with a tiny population, but Asshai is an important port city, one of the most imporant ports of the world

Really? Important for what? What´s the volume of trade, and of local population?

[Universal Sword Donor]

Really? Important for what? What´s the volume of trade, and of local population?

I don't know about volume of trade, but the entire city needs food and water imported and it's apparently trade 'for gold, for gems, and for other treasures ... spoken of only in whispers."

[~No One~]

Asshai is so interesting. I'd read about just that city. I wish GRRM would write a book about it finish TWOW.

[RenlyIsNotRight]

I don't think Martin would put anything exceptionally important to the story in only the Worldbook, without even really mentioning them beforehand.

Not for nothing but I don't recall all the stuff about the ancient black stone popping up in various places in Planetos ever coming up in the series before. I'd like to think somehow that sort of lost knowledge becomes important in the endgame of the series.

[Barristan_the_old]

I think Dany will have to travel to Asshai just like the prophecy says. Strictly because her last chapter mentioned that the valyrian dragon lords used binding spells to control the dragons, which she has trouble with. A page later she has a dream and repeats the prophecy that we all know by heart by now.

To travel west you must go east - Asshai. To find the light you must pass beneath the shadow - Asshai. I think her real purpose in westerns isn't the iron throne but to take her dragons, which she will be able to control after Asshai, and fight the WW etc.

I also think she is the red gods prophecy and is Azor assai (however you spell it) reborn. Born amid smoke and ashes. She doesn't exactly have a flaming sword called lightbringer but dragons would be just as effective if not better. Stannis has a sword but it doesn't give off any heat, which master aemon said it absolutely has to do in order for Stannis to be Azor assai reborn.

Anyways I think Asshai is the most interesting part of the books and I'd love to read more about it. Even the histories book doesn't have a ton of information on it.

[Universal Sword Donor]

I think Dany will have to travel to Asshai just like the prophecy says. Strictly because her last chapter mentioned that the valyrian dragon lords used binding spells to control the dragons, which she has trouble with. A page later she has a dream and repeats the prophecy that we all know by heart by now.

To travel west you must go east - Asshai. To find the light you must pass beneath the shadow - Asshai. I think her real purpose in westerns isn't the iron throne but to take her dragons, which she will be able to control after Asshai, and fight the WW etc.

I also think she is the red gods prophecy and is Azor assai (however you spell it) reborn. Born amid smoke and ashes. She doesn't exactly have a flaming sword called lightbringer but dragons would be just as effective if not better. Stannis has a sword but it doesn't give off any heat, which master aemon said it absolutely has to do in order for Stannis to be Azor assai reborn.

Anyways I think Asshai is the most interesting part of the books and I'd love to read more about it. Even the histories book doesn't have a ton of information on it.

If she travels to Asshai, we won't see it. He said if we see it, it'll be in flashbacks or something. But realistically she can't go to Asshai. It's gonna take her the better part of a year to get back from Slaver's bay. getting to Asshai would triple the length of the trip

[Wordsmith1]

There are no children in Asshai.

[Krusty Kraken]

It would be amazing if Daenerys went to Westeros, through Asshai, following the theory that Planetos is round, and after having traveled to Asshai, she would know a lot more about controlling dragons and therefore, she would be a better asset to the war against the others, this also matches with Quaithe's profecy, to go west (Westeros) you must travel East (Asshai) but eventually ending up in the western coast of Westeros

[~No One~]

It would be amazing if Daenerys went to Westeros, through Asshai, following the theory that Planetos is round, and after having traveled to Asshai, she would know a lot more about controlling dragons and therefore, she would be a better asset to the war against the others, this also matches with Quaithe's profecy, to go west (Westeros) you must travel East (Asshai) but eventually ending up in the western coast of Westeros

Yes, this would be amazing, but afaik, we have gone as far East as we're going to in the main series. There's a SSM that indicates this. Clearly he could have changed his mind, but like a poster above said, it would likely take too long. Hopefully he does something with Asshai in a later book, when he's done with ASOIAF. Like in 2037.

[Falcon2908]

Yes, this would be amazing, but afaik, we have gone as far East as we're going to in the main series. There's a SSM that indicates this. Clearly he could have changed his mind, but like a poster above said, it would likely take too long. Hopefully he does something with Asshai in a later book, when he's done with ASOIAF. Like in 2037.

I think riding by dragon-back will be a quicker journey.

[StrongBelwas]

The general consensus on Asshai is that it is nearly vacant not because it's dying - but because those that built it are already long dead. Those that now occupy it are there with purpose and not to dwell as if Asshai is their home - though they might stay for long periods of time. This is why there are no children. Asshai therefore has no central government - It is a true anarchy as social philosophers would understand.

Asshai is constructed of the same oily black stone as the city of Yeen, the toad stone, the seastone chair, and many other ancient places. The implication here is supportive of what many on this board have discussed - that structures of oily stone represent creations of a long dead race, beings entirely outside of the SOIAF narrative. It is of great importance to note that the city is HUGE and that of all the places where oily stone is present, Asshai has the most of it. This almost implies that Asshai was once some sort of a capital. But of what? Note also that if one was to fill in the rest of the world map with equal amounts of land and assume a vastness to the sunset sea (as GRRM has stated is true) - Asshai suddenly becomes the center of the world - the nexus of Westeros-Essos (that which we can see) East-Essos (which we cannot see), Sothoryos, and Ulthos.

Asshai is without-a-doubt a place steeped in strange sorcery - as well as gold and gems. There would be no reason for people from across the known (and possibly the unknown) world to journey there without these attractions. One cannot grow crops in Asshai. The water is a foul poison according to the WoIAF with fish that "only a fool or a shadowbinder would eat".

GRRM has stated that he does not think his tale will ever go to Asshai. A shame I think because I see the city as a world-nexus. It's a bizarre gathering place for sorcerers from across the world. I would wager that if the story ever included Asshai we might discover strange people that come from places we have not yet seen - from locales in Ulthos or the deep unknowns beyond the 5 forts. We might learn of mysteries from lands beyond the edge of maps where we are wont to write "Here there be Dragons".

There are three characters who might yet provide us more insight about Asshai - Marwyn, Quaithe, and Melisandre. It will be interesting to see what GRRM has planned for them. We've had one Mel chapter already. A Quaithe POV would be awesome - and potentially enlightening in the extreme.

[MercyTheBlindUglyLittleCat]

We're unlikely to get a Quaithe POV (not that one can be sure), but we don't need one casu we already have a POV from there!!!! And we have Sam with Marwyn. There's a ton of potential to learn more about Asshai in the final two novels. And I think it will be essential, not the place itself maybe, but of what it alludes to. I think the oily stone culture will come to be of more importance in the end game, as will anything related to Blood Magic and Dragons. I'm quite excited about this. The WOIAF was the best appetizer for the feast that ought to be the final two novels, which yes might still be sooooo far away :(

[Lordsteve666]

Radioactivity,guys.The whole city stinks of radioactivity.

This was my thinking or something similar.

The whole area of the far far east seems to be suffering from some form of poisoning, to the extent that it is constantly shadowed, the river water is poisoned and the population is getting smaller and smaller. Hell there are places even Shadowbinders won't go and those guys are pretty hardcore magic users. Whilst is might not actually be radioactive I think a more magical style of poisoning is perfectly believable.

I reckon the people in Assai are only there to study magic, so no children are taken there, or perhaps cannot be born there due to the poison.

If I had to guess I'd say the place is incredibly ancient and was once populated by people who knew a lot about magical use. Then something very bad happened there a long time ago, something so bad it poisoned the whole area and it has since been heavily polluted by magic. I would not be surprised if the entire population died in some massive magical cataclysm, leaving only an empty city of oily black stone buildings. Maybe this cataclysm wiped out their entire population across the whole planet, leaving oily black stones abandoned all over the place.

It's deadly to go there for extended periods but the attraction and potency of all that unconstrained magic floating about means its a big neon light to those who would follow the path of magic use.

The kind of people living there would be those willing to give up anything for knowledge or power relating to magic.

[joluoto2]

Asshai seem to be inhabited by people studying various kinds of magics and mysteries these days. It's an important trade port because since nothing can grow in Asshai, the people living there have to import all their food.

Asshai must have been a flourishing city at some point, but that's long ago, since no one seem to remember when that was.

[Hrulj]

I dont think the situation in Asshai is due to deterioration. I think that is the exact way people wanted it. People there are Shadowbinders. And Shadows need a place to dwell, dont they? I think its more of a "someone dies, the house is left alone so shadows can live there", rather than accident.

[John Suburbs]

It seems like every culture that controls dragons turns into a wasteland before long.

[joluoto2]

I think riding by dragon-back will be a quicker journey.

Didn't the Valyrians never find the eastern end of Essos? I got that impression from that Dragonlady who tried to map Sothryos, but never found the end of it and made the conclusion that Sothryos has no end, just like Essos.

[Jaak]

The general consensus on Asshai is that it is nearly vacant not because it's dying - but because those that built it are already long dead.

Those that now occupy it are there with purpose and not to dwell as if Asshai is their home - though they might stay for long periods of time.

This is why there are no children. Asshai therefore has no central government - It is a true anarchy as social philosophers would understand.

How does this follow?

The people at Wall are there with a purpose. It has been built huge, compared to its present inhabitants - the 588 brethren.

And the Wall is no place for children - yet DOES have a central government.

Asshai is without-a-doubt a place steeped in strange sorcery - as well as gold and gems.

There would be no reason for people from across the known (and possibly the unknown) world to journey there without these attractions. One cannot grow crops in Asshai. The water is a foul poison according to the WoIAF with fish that "only a fool or a shadowbinder would eat".

Stewards can and do grow crops at Wall - but yet, what draws trading ships to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea?

[jamiethejointslayer]

To travel west you must go east - Asshai. To find the light you must pass beneath the shadow - Asshai. I think her real purpose in westerns isn't the iron throne but to take her dragons, which she will be able to control after Asshai, and fight the WW etc.

yes! this is my thought as well. if you take that sentence literally as locations, "to find the light you must pass beneath the shadow": then it means to get to the lonely light ( the most westerly point know to us and the people of westeros) you need to pass beneath the shadow. meaning sail around the world.

[Ser Duncan of Flea Bottom]

The world is round, as Martin confirmed, it's the same size, maybe 1.5 times bigger than earth. But I do believe there is another continent between East Essos and West Westeros.