Characterizing or classifying the Free Cities

[Corvinus85]

If you were to try to group the Free Cities in different categories, how would do it? Taking into consideration culture, economy (trade, industries), reputation & history, political characteristics, and geographical location.

Since there are nine, I was thinking how they could be grouped by 3.

One group would be easy - Myr, Tyrosh and Lys - the quarrelsome cities as called in TWoIaF. Their similarities are:

• they are within the most disputed area in all of western Essos.
• they are mercantile cities, greatly dependent on sea trade.
• they often resort to piracy when it suits them, and are part of the slave trade.
• they rely heavily on sellswords in war.

Another group could be Norvos, Qohor, and Lorath - but their most common part is that they were all founded by a religious cult wanting to have some independence from Valyria, and are somewhat closed to outsiders. But only Lorath is a seaport. The other two have access to the Rhoyne water system, which is something they have in common with Volantis.

Braavos is harder to pair with other cities, because outside of the commerce-based economy, they don't have much in common with the others.

 

[Lady_Qohor]

You could group them by the legality of slavery, this is one thing that has a massive impact on a large portion of the population not to mention the culture and morality of the city in general. There's Braavos where slavery is strictly forbidden, Pentos where it takes place under the radar and the rest of the cities where it is commonplace.

[Universal Sword Donor]

On 3/17/2021 at 3:11 PM, Corvinus85 said:

If you were to try to group the Free Cities in different categories, how would do it? Taking into consideration culture, economy (trade, industries), reputation & history, political characteristics, and geographical location.

Since there are nine, I was thinking how they could be grouped by 3.

One group would be easy - Myr, Tyrosh and Lys - the quarrelsome cities as called in TWoIaF. Their similarities are:

• they are within the most disputed area in all of western Essos.
• they are mercantile cities, greatly dependent on sea trade.
• they often resort to piracy when it suits them, and are part of the slave trade.
• they rely heavily on sellswords in war.

Another group could be Norvos, Qohor, and Lorath - but their most common part is that they were all founded by a religious cult wanting to have some independence from Valyria, and are somewhat closed to outsiders. But only Lorath is a seaport. The other two have access to the Rhoyne water system, which is something they have in common with Volantis.

Braavos is harder to pair with other cities, because outside of the commerce-based economy, they don't have much in common with the others.

You can lump Braavos in with both the first two groups tbh. Some small differences but in general the Free Cities are supposed to be more similar than not.

[Jaak]

On 3/17/2021 at 9:11 PM, Corvinus85 said:

Since there are nine,

There were two different tenth Free Cities. Making eleven.

[Corvinus85]

1 hour ago, Jaak said:

There were two different tenth Free Cities. Making eleven.

???

[Jaenara Belarys]

Gogossos was called the Tenth Free City, but what was the eleventh?

[Jaenara Belarys]

I'd group Pentos, Braavos and Lorath, because of location. I'd put Volantis with Lys, Myr and Tyrosh. Norvos and Qohor are together in their own group. Also, why are they called the "Free Cities" when 8 of them have slavery of some sort?

[Loose Bolt]

58 minutes ago, Jaenara Belarys said:

Gogossos was called the Tenth Free City, but what was the eleventh?

Essaria. That lost free city was destroyed by Dothraki during Century of Blood.

[Jaenara Belarys]

Oh, OK. Valyrian city right? Not just some offshoot from the 9 cities?

[Corvinus85]

19 hours ago, Jaenara Belarys said:

I'd group Pentos, Braavos and Lorath, because of location. I'd put Volantis with Lys, Myr and Tyrosh. Norvos and Qohor are together in their own group. Also, why are they called the "Free Cities" when 8 of them have slavery of some sort?

The World of Ice and Fire explains why only these nine are called the Free Cities. They are all independent city-states, and even when Valyria was still around, the cities that were founded by Valyrians were self-governed, unlike other cities which were governed by people directly appointed by the Freehold. So it's really about the government, not the social status of their residents.

[Jaenara Belarys]

I haven't touched WoIaF in 2 months, it's hard to do so when it gets taken away.