Pick a region/kingdom of Essos to rule, and to ruin

[Pod The Impaler]

Inspired by "Pick a Kingdom" thread...

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/120727-pick-a-kingdom/

Pick a city / kingdom / region / etc. in Essos to rule. Which place & people would you wish to command ? And why?

Bonus question: And now that you have rule over the above place, which other place in Essos would you attack ?

[John Doe]

Braavos -> Volantis or the other way around.

[Poodle Pup From Astapor]

Braavos -> Volantis or the other way around.

Whoever attacks will lose.

[Poodle Pup From Astapor]

I think I would pick Ib. Safe place, no major enemies. Seas full of fish. Great ships. Trade. Gold and other mines on the island. Not to mention muscular women with moustache, who could say no to that.

As to who to attack, I think no one. It doesn't make sense to attack anyone. Braavos is a major competitor in commercial fishing, but they are too powerful, besides there's room enough for both. There are other small cities and kingdoms on the northern coast, but they make more sense as trading partners. They aren't major competitors or very rich, and Dothraki visit those places, so if you conquer them, you then have to protect them from the Dothraki.

I would go hunt some leviathans instead, way more cool.

[Worrrminator]

I would pick Braavos.

I would destroy the Kingdom of Omber in Northern Essos, since they are somewhat wealthy, yet are of little importance.

[thenedstark]

Dothraki Sea to rule. Sarnor to ruin.

[Fat Mac]

Yi Ti to rule. The rest of Essos to ruin. Soon, the world will be mine and I will propel the greatest empire in history to eternal domination!

[AtomixIGN]

I had a little too much to drink a few weeks ago and I wrote 10 pages of what I would do on the Iron Throne. I suppose from the perspective that I've had Dany's experience, perspective and and backing. It ranged from turning the Dragon Pit in Kings Landing to a Public Arena for contests/jousts, religious ceremonies, and sessions of open parliament(complete with a constitution, which I outlined) to tearing down the towers of Harenhall to make a stone arch bridge across the Trident and a method of gentrification of the Iron Islands - among a dozen other capital projects and methods of instituting personal and religious freedoms and the conquering and incorporation of the free cities into the domain right down to satisfying the faith by giving it political power and resettling Andalos in return for the acceptance of the Old Gods, Red God, and Drowned God as viable faiths.

so I suppose All of It! From the Wall to Oldtown to Bravoos and Old Ghis.

[AzureOwl]

I would pick the wealthy city of Vahar, in the island of the same name, in the Cinnamon Straits.

Tropical weather presumably, which is nice. I would sit on a valuable trade route, but at the same time be far away enough from all the major military threats. Faros’ biggest claim to fame is a Stone Cow, so presumably they aren’t particularly formidable and they have a vast island interior to look towards. The Qartheen are solely focused on the Jade Gates, with their navy and fortifications concentrated there, so they are no threat.

As for the region I would attack, I would raise a powerful navy and raze the Basilisk Isles to the ground. Just by looking at the map one can presume that the pirates are the biggest threat to my commerce and my security. I might even be able to convince the Qartheen and the Free Cities to join in, or at least subsidize my navy. The Isles are overdue a cleansing.

I would destroy the Kingdom of Omber in Northern Essos, since they are somewhat wealthy, yet are of little importance.

I don’t know about that.

I’ve been giving Omber some thought since reading its entry in the book. What caught my attention is the nature of the yearly tribute they pay the Dothraki to be left unmolested. Gems and girls make perfect sense, the Dothraki love sex slaves and gems have high value, very little mass and are wearable in jewelry, the perfect means of wealth accumulation and conspicuous consumption for a nomadic people. But grain? It made no sense to me. Grain is incredibly bulky, and it needs to be properly stored to last. It’s illogical for the Dothraki to be hauling around grain all over the Grasslands.

But then I looked at the map and it hit me. Omber is extremely close to Vaes Dothrak. How does the city’s permanent population feed itself? The dosh khaleen and their slaves and all the merchants who come there? The Dothraki consider it sinful to farm the land, so there are no fields feeding the city. And maintaining livestock around the area would make it resemble Lhazar much too much for the Dothraki pride to allow it. And what about winter? Where do they get their winter reserves, when you can only preserve meat for so long?

So my conclusion is that the Omberi grain tribute is what provides the bulk of the food for Vaes Dothrak and the winter stores for the dosh khaleen. That’s why the Dothraki tolerate an agricultural sedentary kingdom practically right next door to their heartland. They need it to keep their sacred city fed while they go around gallivanting around the continent.

And if I’m right, that means that any attack on Omber is a direct threat to Vaes Dothrak’s lifeline, and the horselords would respond accordingly.

[Poodle Pup From Astapor]

I had a little too much to drink a few weeks ago and I wrote 10 pages of what I would do on the Iron Throne. I suppose from the perspective that I've had Dany's experience, perspective and and backing. It ranged from turning the Dragon Pit in Kings Landing to a Public Arena for contests/jousts, religious ceremonies, and sessions of open parliament(complete with a constitution, which I outlined) to tearing down the towers of Harenhall to make a stone arch bridge across the Trident and a method of gentrification of the Iron Islands - among a dozen other capital projects and methods of instituting personal and religious freedoms and the conquering and incorporation of the free cities into the domain right down to satisfying the faith by giving it political power and resettling Andalos in return for the acceptance of the Old Gods, Red God, and Drowned God as viable faiths.

so I suppose All of It! From the Wall to Oldtown to Bravoos and Old Ghis.

Hehe.

On that note, my first project as the God King of Ib will be renaming half the country. Ib, Ibbish, New Ibbish, Port of Ibben, Ib Sar, Ib Nor, Far Ib... It's like these Ibbish people ran out of ideas and left the naming of their cities and islands to some busy fantasy writer with better things to do.

[AtomixIGN]

Maybe Ib means Home in their language

[Maester Mando]

I would pick Yi Ti because i think its the most powerful nation in the world. I would definitely re conquer all the former regions of the glorious empire like leng and great moraq.