In the heart of Essos there lies a boundless grassland that some consider to be the birthplace
of all civilization.
A land where the first true towns were formed and with them, petty kingdoms that rose and
fell before the means existed to record their deeds and history.
For a time, the Dragonlords too ruled here, and great cities sprouted from the steppes
and plains.
When Valyria fell to the Doom and all of Essos erupted in a century of blood, they fell one
by one, consumed by a force for which the land is now named; The Dothraki.
Perhaps the most successful culture to have ever inhabited the vast interior of Esssos,
the Dothraki have emerged as its undisputed rulers.
They are a nomadic race of warriors, known for their complete mastery over their horses
which makes them the greatest riders the world has ever seen.
The Dothraki are hardly a united people and instead rove across all of Essos in hordes
called Khalasars.
These vary greatly in size, ranging from a few dozen riders to great hosts tens of thousands
strong.
They are led by a chieftain granted the title of Khal.
The more powerful and feared the Khal, the larger his Khalasar.
His wife is known as a Khaleesi, while his heir is named Khalakka.
All are accompanied in their daily routines by Kos, known to foreigners as “bloodriders”.
The bond between a Khal and his bloodriders runs deeper even than the oaths sworn by the
Kingsguard to whoever sits the Iron Throne of Westeros.
They act as guards, brothers, shadows, and friends to the Khal, and should they fail
in their duties to protect him, are expected to avenge his death, before taking their own
lives.
The largest Khalasars are divided into groups known as Khas, each led by one of the Khal’s
captains.
These are generally loyal but follow strength above all.
A Khal must be ruthless and cunning, willing to deal with any who might challenge his authority.
As such, the Khal is usually considered the strongest or fiercest warrior by all in the
Khalasar.
Should a Khal either fall in battle or fail to defend his position, his captains will
fight among themselves to take his place.
The heir of any fallen Khal will almost always be killed so as to not remain a rival, while
the widowed Khaleesi will be sent to join the Dosh Khaleen.
The Dosh Khaleen enjoy the greatest honor and status amongst the Dothraki.
They act as seers, foretelling the future and interpreting omens.
So revered are the Dosh Khaleen that even the most powerful Khal will heed their guidance.
These widowed Khalseesi are the sole permanent inhabitants of Vaes Dothrak, the only city
of the Dothraki people and the sacred heart of their civilization.
Primitive by Westerosi standards, the city has broad windswept streets paved in grass
and mud, lined on either side by crude, thatchwork buildings.
These are built and maintained not by the Dothraki themselves, but rather a legion of
slaves, brought to Vaes Dothrak from across the continent.
The greatest structure is known as the Horse Gate, two gigantic bronze statues that form
the entrance to the city.
They are lined on either side by broken monuments and symbols from a hundred different nations
or religions, brought to the city by victorious Khalasars, a true testament to the range and
power of their conquests.
A type of trade exists within the city but is conducted almost entirely by foreigners.
The Dothraki neither buy nor sell, considering it to be unmanly, if they even understand
the concept at all.
Instead, the Dothraki exchange gifts, gifting their captives to the Slaver Cities for example,
and receiving gifts from the slavers in return.
This form of trade does not lend itself well to negotiation, and those who choose to deal
with the Dothraki must do so delicately.
Many cities have learned to give lavishly to every Khal who passes, lest they draw their
wrath.
In battle, they are without equal, relentless and utterly fearless.
They fight exclusively from horseback, wielding curved blades known as arakhs, whips, and
curved bows that greatly outrange those used in the Seven Kingdoms.
They are the undisputed masters of mounted warfare, with even the famed Knights of the
Vale paling in comparison.
While on the attack they unleash shrill battle cries and their warriors are often called
“Dothraki screamers” by outsiders.
The Dothraki hold an utter contempt for infantry and will almost always attack them head on
in an attempt to ride them down, even in a situation where the defenders might be easily
outflanked.
This can lead the Dothraki to behave predictably in battle, but their sheer ferociousness is
typically enough to overwhelm any foe.
Individual Dothraki will braid their hair after their first victory, and bells are added
to mark each successive triumph.
The braid is only cut when a Dothraki warrior is defeated in battle, so that the world might
know his shame.
Very few will ever die with their braids never having been cut.
Even above braided hair, the Dothraki consider the ability to ride a horse as the basic marker
of social status.
Anyone unable to ride is seen as the lowest of the low, without honor or pride.
The relationship between the Dothraki and their horses is unlike anything else in the
world, forming the center of their customs, superstitions, and even diet.
They mistrust any water their horses cannot drink and hate or fear the ocean which they
refer to as “the poison water”.
Their religion too is centered around a great stallion, said to part the grass and claim
all those who have died so they might join his starry Khalasar and ride forever in the
nightlands.
The history of such a nomadic people is difficult to trace.
Their ancestors are believed to have come from the lands beyond the Bone Mountains,
and since the Doom of Valyria, they have claimed the great grasslands of Essos as their own.
The Kingdom of Sarnor, the cities of the Qaathi in the Red Waste, and Ibbense settlements
within the Kingdoms of Ifequevron, all have fallen beneath the hooves of successive Khals
and their Khalasars.
The Free Cities along the Narrow Sea remain wary of the Dothraki, but confident that any
threat can be stemmed by gifts and honors.
In Westeros, the Dothraki are discounted entirely, to be feared only if they teach their horses
to run on water.
Strange tales have emerged from the East however, Red Priests proclaim that Azor Ahai has been
born anew while a three headed dragon has been spotted in Meereen and a tall and twisted
thing with one black eye and ten long arms now sails on a sea of blood to meet it.
Others say the Dothraki’s own prophecy has come to pass, and the Khal of all Khals has
risen.
If the tales are true, soon he will unite all the Dothraki into a single Khalasar, and
together, ride to the ends of the earth.
The Templin Institute investigates alternate worlds and realities.
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