Westeros is a continent defined by its variety. Its Seven Kingdoms cover vast tracts of land and ways of life. The frozen North bears little resemblance to the deserts of Dorne. Their people follow that trend, enjoying drastically different cultures. The traditions in Westeros vary, but the old continent, Essos, can be even more fascinating. Thousands of miles east of the familiar home ofGame of Throneslies the dark mountainous regions known only as the Shadow Lands.
Geography plays several unique roles inGame of Thrones. Logistical concerns turnevery military advanceor retreat into a complex lesson in foreign policy. An area’s climate can shape its people. Their traditions bend to meet the demands of the land. If a place earns a name like “the Shadow Lands,” its citizens must do or have done something questionable.
Where are the Shadow Lands?
The Shadow Lands are a peninsula occupying the far east of Essos, one of themost remote regionsof the Known World. Few travel to the Shadow Lands, and even fewer return. At its southwestern tip, a city called Asshai offers a port to the outside world. Asshai touches the Jade Sea, just north of the Manticore Isles. The Mountains of the Morn cover the Shadow Lands. A river called the Ash runs through the region into the Jade Sea. It’s a black body of water full of disgusting, poisonous fish. To reach the Shadow Lands through the Ash, one must pass through the Vale of Shadow. That ominously named valley earned its monicker from the high black peaks of mountains on either side, which so thoroughly block the sun that daylight only enters at noon. Most of the region is shrouded in mystery.
Asshai is the most well-known city in the Shadow Lands. It’s a grim place constructed mostly of pitch-black stone that seems to consume sunlight. Asshai is a viable port, covered with bazaars and great halls, but it seems to shut down at night. Asshai and the rest of the Shadow Lands grow ghost grass, a pale invasive plant that seems to choke out all other flora. Cliffs house caves that could hideany monstrous settlementbeyond Asshai. The only other named city in the Shadow Lands is the ruined corpse of a metropolis now called Stygai. Stygai is said to be haunted, but it is observably abandoned. All who reside in the Shadow Lands fear Stygai, but its mountainous structure could hide sinister secrets.
Who lives in the Shadow Lands?
The people of the Shadow Lands are called the Shadow Men. They’re best known outside the Shadow Lands for their unusual accessories. Shadow Men cover themselves in tattoos and don featureless red lacquer wooden masks. Most people distrust andfear the Shadow Men. They are thought to be dour and haunted. The Shadow Men almost always cover their faces. There are no children in Asshai and nearly no people in Stygai. Generations before the modern era, Shadow Men became known for piracy and violence, but their land is rich in gold and gems. Shadow Men tend to frighten outsiders because their appearance is offputting or because rumors cast them as sinister.
The Shadow Lands are one of the last homes of magic in the Known World.No religious or arcane practiceis forbidden in Asshai. Witches and wizards ply their trade in the streets. Necromancers, aeromancers, warlocks, and followers of otherwise horrific deities call the Shadow Lands home. The mystical figures fromGame of Thronestend to hail from Asshai or beyond. TheShadow Men believe dragonscame from Asshai and still occupy their land, hiding in cliffs and caves. As Daenerys Targaryen claims her Mother of Dragons title, blessed with three dragon eggs from the Shadow Lands, magic seems to gain strength across the region.
What comes out of the Shadow Lands?
Game of Thronescan be sparse with magic, but most of its mystical elements come from the Shadow Lands. Illyrio Mopatisbrought Daenerys' dragon eggsfrom the Shadow Lands. When Euron Greyjoy wanted to back his claim to the throne, he bragged about visiting Asshai. The Shadow Lands are rich with gold and gems. Even dragonglass comes out of its hidden depths. Mirri Maz Durr, who killed Khal Drogo and Daenerys' unborn child, learned her blood magic from Asshai. Melisandre learned her dark art in the Shadow Lands. Daenerys meets the shadowbinder Quaithe in Vaes Tolorro, where she becomes a trusted seer and cryptic advisor.
The Shadow Lands are a distant place where few dare to journey, but its endless darkness hides fantastic secrets. So many mystical mysteries live between the mountains and beyond the river.A Song of Ice and Firecould explore the deepest depths of the Shadow Lands to experiencethe esoteric elementsbehind much of the story. The Shadow Lands might be more engaging for their secrecy, but every glimpse raises suspicion and intrigue.
