For thousands of years, the people of Westeros have sailed the seas, trading and establishing
relations with the Free Cities of Essos and the Summer Isles of the South.
However as one travels further East, less is known, with even Maesters and Scholars
only able to assemble a basic understanding of these lands, relying on second hand accounts,
often unable to discern myth from fact.
One such land, is the mighty continent of Sothoryos, located South of Old Ghiscar, bordered
by the Summer and Jade Seas.
Although a number of civilizations have explored the heavily jungled land mass, only it’s
Northern coast has been properly mapped with the full size and scope of the territory not
yet known.
One of the most mysterious areas of Sothoryos is the ancient city of Yeen, built of an oily
black stone cut into blocks so large it would take a dozen elephants to move them.
This substance is believed to be the same found in many other places around the world,
including a 40 foot tall black stone toad statue found on the Isles of Toads which may
be the remnants of an ancient civilization that vanished long ago.
Many believe Yeen to be cursed as every attempt to repopulate or resettle the area has ended
in disaster.
Yet more disturbing still, is that the city has remained in ruins for thousands of years
yet has never been reclaimed by the jungle, with Nymeria of the Rhoynar once remarking
that it was "a city so evil that even the jungle will not enter."
Stories claim that the continent may have once been inhabited by a number of different
races and species, such as Lizard Men and eyeless Cave Dwellers, who may have been driven
to extinction or else may continue to live in the lands unexplored region.
Yet by the time of the War of the Five Kings, only one native race was commonly known, referred
to as the Sothoryi or Brindled Men, these large, well muscled people are reported to
have thick skin brindled with brown and white patterns as well as broad, flat noses, sloped
foreheads, huge square teeth, heavy jaws and dark black hair.
Although most consider these people slow of wit, they are strong and fierce fighters,
making for excellent slaves and pit fighters.
Some even claim, that it may have been the Brindled Men that defeated and drove away
the other races of Sothoryos and that the further south you travel, the more wild and
visious these people become, practicing cannibalism and horrific religious rituals in worship
of their dark gods.
However, as threatening as these native inhabitants may seem to outsiders, they are few in number,
and so are only a minor danger when compared to disease, with the continent known for Blood
Boils, Bronze Pate, Brown Leg, The Dancing Plague, Greyscale, Green Fever, Pus Eye, Red
Death, Sailor’s bane, Sweetrot, Wormbone, And Yellowgum
Archmaester Ebrose who studied centuries worth of accounts by travellers to the east, determined
that on average, 9 of every 10 Westerosi who travel to Sothoryos would contract an illness,
and of those half would die.
Additionally, those who venture into the these dangerous lands, may also encounter ferocious
wild life, such as Giant apes, large enough to knock out an elephant
with a single blow, crocodiles, basilisks, carnivorous fish, stinging flies, deadly snakes,
wasps, worms, white vampire bats, tattooed lizards and the most feared creature of them
all, Wyverns, aggressive winged beasts who are believed to be kin to dragons, similar
in appearance, though lacking the ability to breath fire.
Yet even after thousands of years, travellers continue brave the danger and make the journey,
with Sothoryos representing a land of untold possibilities and riches.
In the earliest days of sea exploration, when the people of the Summer Isles journeyed east
they discovered the massive continent and explore its western coast.
But it is not known how far south they travelled or what they found because the people of the
Isles do not share their maps with outsiders.
The Qartheen people of the Jade Gate, also attempted to explore the territory along its
eastern side.
Originally believing it to be an island twice the size of great moraq, but learned it may
be otherwise, when their explorers could not circle the territory.
Next came the Ghiscari Empire, who established various settlements along the continent’s
northern coast, like the city of Zamettar, the penal colony of Gorosh in Wyvern Point
and the city of Gorgai on the Isle of Toads, in the area known as the Basilisk Isles.
Then as the Valyrian Freehold rose to rival the Ghiscari in Essos, they too settled the
continent, establishing 3 colonies at Basilisk Point, but they suffered greatly in the dangerous
environment, with the first colony destroyed by the Brindled Men and the second colony
wiped out by plague.
However their fortunes turned when Valyria captured the city of Gorgai in the Third Ghiscari
War, renaming it Gogossos and using it as a penal colony.
They then abandoned their third colony after Valyria’s victory in the Fourth Ghiscari
war, where they took possession of the city of Zamettar and so settled their people in
this more prosperous and well established location.
During the Age of Valyria, a dragonrider named Jaenara Belaerys flew her dragon Terrax as
far south as she possibly could, finding only jungle, deserts, and mountains.
After three years she returned home claiming it was a "land without end."
Although Valyria held Zamettar for a time, the harsh conditions would again take their
toll seeing the city eventually abandoned, until the arrival of Nymeria and the Rhoynar
around 700 BC.
Stories say Nymeria led 10 000 ships which fled from the Valyrian conquest of their lands
along the river Rhoyne and so attempted to settle in Sothoryos, establishing cities along
Basilisk point as well as populating Zammetar and the ruins of Yeen.
However many of these settlements suffered tragedy from raids or else disease and predators.
For a year they struggled, until a ship travelling from Zamettar to Yeen, discovered that the
entire Rhoynar population of this ancient city had mysteriously vanished.
This at last convinced Nymeria to reassemble her followers and once again take to the seas
in search of a new home, eventually reaching Dorne and allying with House Martell to successfully
settle her people.
With so many failed attempts to colonize the continent, Gogossos became one of the only
examples of a city able to grow and prosper at least for a time, during the century of
blood, when the Basilisk Isles became heavily involved in the slave trade with some nicknaming
it the tenth free city.
However, their economic success could not protect them from the Red Death, a horrifying
plague which ravaged the city, killing 9 of every 10 residents.
And leaving the Basilisk Isles to become a refuge for criminals, pirates, exiles, and
prostitutes.
Yet while many known civilizations have explored Sothoryos, and thus provided some basic information
about the known areas of the map, far to east, across the Jade Sea, are the lands of Ulthos
of which almost nothing is known.
Maps of the known world suggest the area may be heavily jungled with a river on its western
coast and a ruined city on the nearby island of Ulos.
Given it’s distance to Westeros, and proximity to other lands of near mythical status, such
as the city of Asshai and the Shadow Mountains, there is little reliable information about
the territory, with Maesters uncertain about whether it is even an independant continent
or just a large island.
With some even suggesting it may be connected to Sothoryos or Essos.