Far to the South of Westeros and the Free Cities, within the waters of the Summer Sea,
are the people of the Summer Isles, an ancient civilization whose long history traces back
to the Dawn Age, when they believed the Islands were alone in the world, surrounded by a world
of ocean.
Although they do not have an extensively written history, much of their past is recorded through
carvings made into the Talking Trees of Tall Trees Town, or else kept through their oral
histories passed down through the generations in formal verse.
For the people of Westeros, the greatest resource about their people was the book Children of
Summer, written by Maester Gallard, who recorded many of their oral histories into written
form.
Contact with the outside world was first occured sometime between 8 and 5000 year before Conquest,
when the Ghiscari Empire was at their height, sending ships all across the known world.
One of these vessels was blown off course, landing on the island of Walano.
Yet when they saw the dark skinned natives of the Summer Isles, they immediately boarded
their ship and fled, believing they had seen demons whose skin was burnt by the fires of
hell.
For many years the Ghiscari would name this place the Demon Island, and so their ships
avoided the area completely.
But the event, had a much greater impact with the Summer Islanders, who learned they were
not alone in the world, and began to develop a stronger seafaring culture, creating ships
capable of sailing the open ocean.
One of the greatest of these ship builders, was Prince Malthar Xaq of Koj, known as the
Windrider and Mapmaker, famous for his large scale production of vessels.
His homeland would continuing to have a reputation for ship building throughout their history
and into the modern era.
Over the centuries and millenia, the Islanders began to explore the world around them, first
encountering the peaceful people of Naath, then moving on to the Basilisk Isles and northern
Sothoryos, as well as Southern Essos and Westeros.
Some even claim the Islanders explored deep into the south of the Sothoryos, reaching
its southern coast and mapping the lands they found, but that is near impossible to verify
since they refuse to share their findings with outsiders.
Some even claim the Islanders are responsible for spreading rumors about the terrors found
in the far south, saying that they are lands plagued with lizard-men, eyeless cave-dwellers,
giant vampire-bats and monstrous apes, simply as a means of discouraging travellers and
slavers from exploring those areas, thereby preserving the settlements and civilizations
they found.
In any event, as the Islanders began making contact with other lands, they proved useful
trade partners to many, able to barter in pearls, gemstones, like emeralds, rubies,
and sapphires, Spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and pepper.
hardwoods like bloodwood, ebony, mahogany, purpleheart, blue mahoe, burl, tigerwood,
pink ivory and Goldenheart, also known for selling exotic animals like parrots.
monkeys and young spotted Panthers.
The Islands which were rich in these resources, lacked iron, tin, and other metals which they
acquired from the dealings, eventually establishing common trade routes with Oldtown, King’s
Landing, Braavos, Qarth and many others.
As the Islanders reached so many foreign lands, they began to settle colonies along the Western
Coast of Sothoryos, but each of them met the same fate as other towns and villages established
in the dangerous continent, with plague, ferocious wildlife, and raids by the native Brindled
Men wiping them out.
And while this venture went badly for them, the Islanders soon discovered a highly profitable
industry in the slave trade, selling their captured enemies to Valyrian Slavers and others.
Yet the wealth and power generated by this practice corrupted many of the Princes of
the Isles, who turned against each other, fighting devastating wars in a race to capture
as many slaves as possible and sell them into foreign markets.
Later known as the Years of Shame, this period of harmful civil strife was at last ended
when Princess Xanda Qo, who was once held as a slave herself, united the islands under
her rule, inventing the goldenheart bow, able to pierce even steel plate and the famous
Swan Ships, specially designed to support her archers, making them powerful war ships.
Under her rule and that of her daughter Chatana Qo, the Islands continued to fight a Slavers
War, eradicating the harmful practice entirely from their lands.
However after the death of Princess Chatana, the united realm collapsed, and the islands
once again split into princedoms.
Over the years a few others attempted to unify the Islands, but each attempt ultimately failed.
Although the Summer Isles have their own history of war and violence, they never attempted
to conquer foreign lands, instead focusing on defense, exploration and trade.
But individuals Islanders, soon became recognized as great warriors, pitfighters and mercenaries
in various parts of the world, many rising to prominence in the wars of the Free Cities.
One of the most infamous of their people was Xhobar Qhoqua, a rich and successful pirate
merchant, who became one of the band of nine, working with Maelys the Monstrous of House
Blackfyre and the Golden Company to conquer the Stepstones, and fought in the War of the
Ninepenny kings against Westeros, which devastated as their planned to invasion of the mainland.
The Islands are also known for being the home of a small minority of exiled Rhoynar, who
fled their lands following the invasion of Valyria following Princess Nymeria who led
ten thousand ships.
First they went to Sothoryos but found the lands hostile, losing many of their people.
And so again they took to their ships, this times headed for the summer isles, where the
princes refused to settle them on the main islands, for fear of Valyrian retribution,
and so instead gave them the isle of Abulu a small desolate land, nowhere near large
enough to feed their people.
By this point most of Nymeria’s surviving followers were female, and so the island was
renamed the Isle of women, a name that has remained into the modern age.
After two years and more losses, Nymeria again took to the sea, sailing with many of her
people north to Westeros, settling in Dorne and allying with House Martell, coming to
rule the territory.
While others remained behind, becoming continuing to live on the island, now better able to
sustain a smaller population.
Centuries later, as came under the Westeros came to be ruled by House Targaryen, Tall
Trees Town was raided and sacked by pirates, an event which came to influence Aegon the
Conqueror, convincing him to build walls around King’s Landing, realizing he needed extra
protection for his newly formed capital city.
The trade relations between Westeros and the Islands continued on throughout the reign
of the Targaryens and beyond, and so when the island of Jhala descended into civil war,
with Prince Jalabhar Xho of the Red Flower Vale deposed from power, and so sought refuge
in Westeros.
Although King Robert gave him sanctuary in King’s Landing, and was intrigued by his
petition for armed Westerosi support in taking back his lands, the King’s advisers convinced
him to deny the request.
However Robert continued to allow him in the capital, with the exiled prince becoming a
regular fixture in the royal court.
The Summer Isles themselves, are believed to stretch beyond the southern edges of the
known world map, but so far only 50 of the islands have been properly mapped by Westerosi
Maesters.
Of the known areas, three major islands can be found, in Walano, home to Lotus Port, Tall
Trees Town and Last Lament.
Omboru, between the Smiling Sea and Indigo Straits.
And finaly Jhala where Ebonhead and the areas of Sweet Lotus Vale, Red Flower Vale and the
Golden Head can be found.
As a whole, those three islands house 9/10ths of their population.
But others do live on the many smaller remaining lands of the isles, such as those previously
mentioned as well as Stone Head, the Isle of Birds the Singing Stones, The Three exiles,
Moluu, the Isle of Love, Lizard Head, and the bones, Xon and Doquu, located in Parrot
Bay.
The ancient, and storied culture of their people, also offers many interesting and exotic
concepts to Westerosi and foreign observers, in their almost divine reverence for sex,
often mourning the death of a loved one with wine and lovemaking.
Even considering prostitution an honorable profession.
They are also well known for their unique language and fashions, with nobles of the
islands often wearing capes of brightly colored feathers, consuming a diet primarily of fruit
and fish, while drinking sweet amber wine.
Perhaps most fascinating of all, is their warrior and battle traditions, which appear
strictly regulated by their priests and holy figures.
Seeing competing princes and nobles taking small bands of highly trained warriors, into
tournament style combat.
Where each force meets on predetermined soil, sending their chosen warriors to fight, with
the winners taking the disputed prize while the losers who survived the battle are exiled
from the islands.
In this way they ensure that only warriors were killed in their confrontation, avoiding
civilian casualties and collateral damage.