World Overview
A low-magic, late-medieval world defined by dynastic politics, prophecy, and the slow return of supernatural forces once thought extinct. Most of civilization lies on Westeros, a feudal continent ruled by noble Houses that swear fealty to the Iron Throne. Across the Narrow Sea lies Essos, a vast land of free cities, ancient empires, and nomadic peoples. Magic has faded into myth since the fall of Valyria, yet dragons, White Walkers, and sorcery are re-emerging to upend the fragile balance of power.
Geography & Nations
Westeros spans from the frozen Land of Always Winter and the Wall in the North, to the warm deserts of Dorne in the South. It is divided into Seven Kingdoms ruled by great Houses: Stark (North), Arryn (Vale), Tully (Riverlands), Lannister (Westerlands), Tyrell (Reach), Baratheon (Stormlands), and Martell (Dorne), all once united under the Iron Throne at King’s Landing.
Essos stretches eastward, home to the Free Cities (Braavos, Pentos, Volantis, etc.), the Dothraki Sea, the ruins of Old Valyria, and distant Qarth and Asshai. The Summer Islands and Sothoryos lie further south, rich in exotic trade and mystery.
Races & Cultures
The known world is mostly human but culturally diverse:
First Men of the North keep old traditions and the worship of the Old Gods.
Andals brought the Faith of the Seven and chivalric culture to the south.
Valyrians, descended from dragonlords, left their mark through the Targaryen line.
Ironborn of the western isles follow the Drowned God and reave the seas.
Dothraki are nomadic horse-lords of the plains.
Unsullied, Qartheen, Braavosi, and others embody the varied civilizations of Essos.
Current Conflicts
Civil war and ancient prophecy intertwine:
The War of the Five Kings fractures Westeros after King Robert Baratheon’s death.
Daenerys Targaryen rises in exile with the first living dragons in centuries.
Beyond the Wall, the White Walkers and their undead army march south, threatening all mankind.
Political intrigue, vengeance, and the struggle for legitimacy dominate a realm teetering between reason and myth.
Magic & Religion
Magic, long dormant, is awakening: dragons, warging, greenseers, red priests, and resurrection by the Lord of Light (R’hllor).
Major faiths include:
The Faith of the Seven, dominant in the south.
Old Gods of the Forest, worshiped in the North.
R’hllor, whose followers seek to bring the “Prince That Was Promised.”
The Drowned God of the Ironborn.
The Many-Faced God of death in Braavos.
Magic is rare, unpredictable, and often tied to blood and sacrifice.
Planar Influences
There are no distinct planes, but the world’s veil between life and death is thin.
The Others / White Walkers hail from a realm of eternal cold beyond the Wall.
R’hllor’s flame seems to draw from another dimension of light and fire.
Dreams and visions—through weirwood trees, fire, or prophecy—serve as the world’s metaphysical bridge.
Historical Ages
1. Age of Heroes – First Men, the building of the Wall, and the Long Night.
2. Andal Invasion – arrival of the Faith of the Seven.
3. Valyrian Freehold – dragonlords dominate Essos; Valyrian steel and magic flourish.
4. Doom of Valyria – the empire collapses; Targaryens survive on Dragonstone.
5. Targaryen Conquest – Aegon I unites the Seven Kingdoms.
6. Rebellion & Fall – Robert’s Rebellion ends Targaryen rule; chaos follows his death.
Economy & Trade
Westeros uses gold dragons and silver stags.
Trade crosses seas and continents—spices and silk from Essos, timber and furs from the North, wine and gold from the Reach and Westerlands.
The Iron Bank of Braavos manipulates global finance, funding wars and thrones alike.
Law & Society
Feudal law prevails: lords dispense justice in their domains; the king’s decrees rule the realm.
Trial by combat, duels, and executions are common.
Adventurers are mercenaries, hedge-knights, or sellswords, valued for skill but scorned by nobility.
Honor and lineage define one’s worth more than law ever can.
Monsters & Villains
White Walkers – icy necromancers from the far north.
Dragons – reborn under Daenerys, weapons and symbols of divine right.
Direwolves, giants, and wights – remnants of elder ages.
Human monsters—Cersei Lannister, Ramsay Bolton, Petyr Baelish—embody power’s corruption.
The true villain is the endless cycle of ambition and vengeance that dooms every age.