Far to the east of Westeros, the ancestors of the nomadic warrior race known as the Dothraki,
migrated through the tall and treacherous Mountains of central essos, possibly under
pressure from the Jogos Nhai or other far eastern powers.
And while these dothraki eventually succeeded, many of them died along the way, leaving their
bones scattered throughout what came to be called the Bone Mountains.
During the century of blood following the doom of Valyria, the proud and skilled mounted
warriors of the Dothraki united under the powerful ruler Khal Mengo, counciled by his
mother the witch queen Doshi.
Following Khal Mengo they went on a brutal campaign west, destroying a number of ancient
kingdoms and cultures, including the cities of Sarnor, who in the beginning were unwilling
to unify to defend themselves.
Instead taking advantage of the impending threat to fight amongst themselves, sometimes
allying with the Dothraki to take down rivals within their own culture.
As a result they were left vulnerable and over the years lost a number of cities, including
the fabled waterfall city of Sathar, which fell to Khal Mengo’s son Khal Moro.
The Sarnori king of Gornath then married Moro’s daughter, allying together to destroy the
city of Kasath.
However Khal Moro was later killed and replaced by Khal Horro, followed by the murder of the
King at the hands of his Dothraki wife who despised the man.
Khal Horro then took the daughter of Moro for himself and destroyed Gornath.
Horro was eventually killed as well, and with his death the Dothraki splintered into smaller
factions.
Now competeing with each other as they continued to conquer the area.
Finally, after losing so many of their cities, the Sarnori united under the last High King
Mazor Alexi.
But it was too late, as the Dothraki proved victorious at the Field of crows, where the
armies of Khal Haro, Khal Qano, Khal Loso the Lame, and Khal Zhako, led a combined army
of 80 000 horsemen against six thousand scythed chariots with ten thousand armored riders
behind them, as well as ten thousand light horsemen and a hundred thousand spearmen and
slingers.
Despite the Sarnori advantage in numbers, they overcommitted their forces after a feigned
retreat by the warriors of Khal Haro who died on the battlefield.
Too late did the Sarnori realize it was a trap, when the other Khals led their cavalry
to surround the enemy army, crushing them and killing Mazor Alexi, six lesser kings,
and more than threescore lords and heroes.
After their victory, the Dothraki moving on to sack and burn the remaining Sarnori cities.
It was only through the support of nearby powers like the Ibben and Lorath, that the
small port city of Saath survived.
In addition to the fall of Sarnor, the Dothraki conquered the Valyrian colony of Essaria,
as well as the Ibbenese settlements and cities making up the Kingdom of Ifequevron.
However the Ibbenese fought back, winning several victories and destroying the great
army of Khal Onqo.
But eventually the relentless Dothraki sacked the city of Ibbish under Khal Scoro and then
again by Khal Rogo.
Finally the Ibbenese were forced to abandon the area after Khal Dhaqo burned the city
and a large portion of the surrounding countryside, earning the nickname Dragon of the North.
Further south, other Khals led their warriors to the Qaathi city states of the red waste
conquering all but Qarth, which was protected by its massive triple walls.
Many even tried to cross the Bone Mountains to conquer the rich and exotic lands of the
east, but were halted at the cities of Bayasabhad, Samyriana, and Kayakayanaya, which blocked
the 3 roads leading through the mountains, never able to make it past their walls.
After reigning destruction upon vast swaths of territory, Khal Temmo, a dothraki war chief
decided to push further west and invade the Free Cities.
At the Battle of Qohor, also known as the Battle of the 3 thousand, the city state of
Qohor hired the Bright Banners and Second Sons mercenary companies, who along with their
city defense forces engaged the Dothraki horde of 25000.
And while they inflicted heavy damage, killing 5000 of the enemy, the Qohori forces were
defeated in the first day of fighting, with the sellswords fleeing the battlefield and
abandoning the city.
However, reinforcements soon arrived, with an envoy sent to slaver’s bay returning
with 3000 unsullied warriors.
The Unsullied have long been considered some of the greatest warriors in the world, castrated
and trained their whole lives for war.
During the final day of fighting, the Dothraki were so confident in their impending victory,
they did not bother to use strategy in the battle.
Instead simply charging with their cavalry directly into the lines of heavy infantry,
expecting to easily break their formations.
But the discipline and ferocity of the Unsullied allowed them to resist the aggression, repelling
18 cavalry charges, and 3 archer attacks.
After losing over 12 000 warriors including their leader Khal Temmo and his sons, the
Dothraki surrendered.
The Horse Lords were known to grow their hair long, adding bells to their braids as mark
of victory in battle.
And so after their loss to Qohor, those left alive marched through the city gates and cut
off their braids, throwing them down to the ground as a symbol of their defeat and dishonor.
Of the 3000 Unsullied who fought that day, only 600 survived.
Yet they so impressed the Qohori government that the city became permanently defended
by an unsullied army.
This ended the continuing western migration of the Dothraki, but they continued to dominate
the lands of central essos, living as nomads, establishing Vaes Dothrak as the only permanent
city.
Located near a lake they called the Womb of the World and the Mother of Mountains.
The rest of territory including the many cities and settlements conquered, were razed to the
ground over time becoming grassland, resulting in the large area between the Bone Mountains
and Free Cities to be named the Dothraki Sea.
Their people consider the horse a fundamental part of their culture, relying on the animals
for food, transportation, clothing and craftwork.
As well as making an alcoholic drink from fermented horse milk.
They even incorporated the horse into their superstitions and religion, worshiping a horse
god and believing in a prophecy that states a great warrior will be born to them, uniting
their people to conquer the world.
Some also believed that the stars themselves were horses made of fire galloping across
the sky.
The Dothraki have come to associate their lives and livelihood with the animals, looking
down upon those who do not ride and fearing the sea because their mounts will not drink
its waters.
The Dothraki organize themselves into warbands known as Khalasars, led by a mighty chieftain
known as khal.
These rulers must prove themselves ferocious in battle and would remain in power as long
they remained healthy and strong.
Should a leader ever became so infirm he is unable to ride a horse, his authority over
the group dissolves.
The Khal is guarded by a group of elite and fiercely loyal warriors called bloodriders
who live and die alongside their rulers.
Only permitted to outlive their Khals if they need to avenge his death, but then expected
to die once their task was completed.
The Khalasar itself is divided into smaller units called Khas which are led by the Khal’s
chosen captains, known as Kos.
After the death of a Khal, his son and heir known as the Khalakka may inherit the Khalasar,
but if he is too young or weak the Kos may fight amongst themselves for leadership, killing
the former Khalakka to eliminate him as rival.
The Khas may also choose to simply break away and form their own khalasars, with their kos
becoming Khal.
Although Dothraki warriors were experts in mounted warfare, they often fought shirtless
or with leather vests, considering armor cowardly.
They were also known to use whips, curved bows and curved swords called arahks.
Women were largely treated as property by the patriarchal society, however a Khalisi,
which was the wife of a Khal was treated with more respect.
These women were sent to live in Vaes Dothrak after the death of their husband, where they
joined the Dosh Khaleen.
A group of widowed women serving as sages and advisers to the Dothrak Khalasar’s and
their Khals.
Vaes Dothrak was considered sacred ground, and so it was forbidden to wear a blade or
spill a free man’s blood, meaning that even rival Khalasars had to cease their hostilities
once in the city.
It was also a busy trade market, as merchants from both east and west made their way to
vaes Dothrak, offering gifts to the Khals they encountered for protection as they crossed
the Dothraki sea.
The raucous and carefree nature of the Dothraki meant they often settled disputes with fights
to the death, especially during wedding ceremonies where rape and murder were celebrated activities.
Other traditions and customs of their people, included a belief that the number 13 was bad
luck, as was the act of touching a dead body you did not personally kill.
They also believed magic was unnatural, reviling witches and wizards.
The Dothraki instead valued physical strength, known to discard malformed children and cripples,
leaving them behind to be devoured by feral dogs.
And expected the men and woman of the khalasar to ride their mounts at all times, even expecting
that pregnant women will ride until close to the birth.
Believing that a man who does not ride, is no man at all, wagons were therefore only
used by children, cripples, eunichs, slaves and the elderly.
Although Dothraki medicine was fairly primitive, they kept barren women as herbalists practice
with potions and spells, as well as eunuch slaves who used knife, needle, and fire.
After their conquest of central essos, they continued to live as they had for centuries
within their territory, often raiding nearby towns, collecting slaves and warring with
each other for supremacy.
One of their favorite targets were the peaceful shepherds of Lhazar, becoming a frequent target
of their attacks.
However they also accepted tributes, sometimes threatening to invade the Free Cities or other
territories until paid to leave.
And while the dothraki detested currency and bribes, they did accepts gifts, like when
young Viserys Targaryen tried to court the Khalasar of Khal Drogo, offering his sister
Daenerys as a gift, in the hopes the Khal would use his army to invade Westeros on behalf
of the exiled Targaryens.
Although foreigners were rarely accepted into the Khalasars as anything other than slaves,
the famous braavosi adventurer Terrio Erastes was granted the privilege of becoming a guest
of Khal Dhako, Living with them for a time and witnessing his sacking of the city of
Ibbish.
Terrio then wrote about his experiences in the chronicle Fire Upon the Grass, where he
also describes the fall of Khal Dhako, killed by a young Khal Temmo, who murdered the man’s
wives and children, then cutting off his hands, feet and genitals, and burning them before
the withering remains of the former war chief.