#The North is one of the most isolated areas of Westeros

[mutter-of-dragons]

Not to mention, Sansa was in no position of true danger prior to that if you consider that the biggest threat to her life was the same as towards everyone else: the white walkers. But she had to antagonize the only person who had a proper army at that point, lmaooo. I wonder for how much long she would have survived without the Dothraki and the Unsulied to die to keep her ungrateful ass safe. She was the Lady of Winterfell, she still had authority, she was still relatively safe in her home, she had even reunited with what was left of her family. Her insistence on getting the North being independent came from either paranoia or pure greed (considering her ending I think it's the latter), Daenerys didn't even harmed her after all the disrespect thrown in her face. I doubt that Robert Baratheon or even Robb himself would let that shit go unpunished if they were disrespected like that. Sansa had no real motivation other than greed and keeping power to herself to be hostile towards Daenerys. I would have loved to see Dany actually letting the North being independent though, just to watch them trying to fend off for themselves after the true winter had arrived and most of the men having died

to be honest if i was daenerys during season eight episode one & sansa bitterly snipped "and may i ask how are we meant to feed the greatest army the world has ever seen? while i ensured our stores lasted through winter, i did not account for dothraki, unsullied and two full grown dragons. what do dragons eat anyway?" i would have said "lol nothing i guess," given the order for my troops to turn around & march back to dragonstone & let the north deal with whatever they had coming.

[renfairewolverine]

Never not gonna think that implication that in the north the old tongue is a largely dead language. Horseshit. The north is one of the most physically and culturally isolated areas in all of westeros along with like, dorne due to their geographies.

I’d think that the old would still be a reasonably used language and likely the language of small folk ESPECIALLY the more northern ones. The small folk are the people least likely to really meet anyone from outside the north and thus less likely to learn a new language or have the need to. Lords probably learn like, “modern” first tongue and “archaic” first tongue so they can talk to their own people and read old texts/communicate in a “higher” tone in court.

Like the Northman vs free folk language divide would be so interesting. Jon and Ygritte looking at each like “??????” Like that’s MY LANGUAGE but you FUCKED IT UP SOMEHOW????? Some old targ prick going up to look at the wall and read the ancient jedi texts bc of the pRoPhEcY and he just looks at the camera like “I can’t read none of this shit”. Gotta get some stark 12yo to read him the spooky lore lol

Anyway everyone is a coward let the northmen have their own language. Same with the ironborn and dorne. The targs aren’t THAT especial and is essos can have lots of languages so can westeros.

[weirwoodking]

(for the spicy take thing) The North doesn't deserve independence any more or less than any of the other kingdoms because there's nothing intrinsic in their culture that makes them more separated from the rest of Westeros than, say, Dorne or the Eyrie.

I mostly agree, however there are some things that make the North very different from the rest of Westeros. Them having their own religion being one of those things. Each region is culturally different, and while GRRM doesn’t go very deep into those distinctions, they are established to be their own places. The First Men, Andals, and Rhoynar did influence the areas they settled in.

However, in terms of who “deserves” independence, I think people kinda forget that the North isn’t solely who Robb was fighting for, or who was fighting for him.

Riverlanders also died at the Red Wedding, it wasn’t just northerners. I think that people get too caught up with only thinking of the North as the ones who suffered loss in this cause. Part of this is probably because of the phrase “the North remembers”, however I’ve always taken that line not to mean that the North only remembers the North, but that they also remember what was done to the river lords as well. They remember everyone.

So anyway, that’s why the opinion of “the North deserves to be independent and isolated” bothers me. Call me crazy, but I recall there being this idea developed throughout the series that everyone should be working together to help all people, not just the culture they feel most loyal or personally attached to. At night, all banners are black, it does not matter what color they showed during the day.

(edit: I do think that there’s a possibility that all the regions could be independent/more independent at the end of the series, but I don’t think any of them would be isolationist)

[justgottafinishthischapter]

Worldbuilding Tips: The Five Visitors

You’ve done it. You’ve come up with an idea for your fantasy world, but right now it’s mostly curb appeal and decorations without much else. So, you have the skin and flavor of your fictional world, but what if you’re having a bit of trouble coming up with the meat needed to make your world juicy and delicious? Well, I have a little game that can help flesh out your world.

Imagine a ship or whatever other kind of vehicle arriving on the shores or outskirts of your fantasy land and from that vehicle emerges 5 people from our own mundane world: a historian, an economist, an anthropologist, a diplomat, and a cartographer. There are some other visitors, but these are going to be the most universally beneficial.

The Historian:

This person is going to be interested in the backstory of your world. They don’t need to know every minuscule detail (though they wouldn’t turn that much information down) and just a general overview would be much obliged. Many fantasy worlds such as Tolkien’s Middle Earth and Martin’s Westeros are far more rich and interesting due to the amount of effort put into crafting their world’s histories. If you’re stumped, look to real world history for inspiration. It doesn’t even need to come from the middle ages so long as it works for your story. You should be able to answer questions like: How long has the dominant civilization been around? What are the biggest defining moments in your world’s history? What things are common knowledge that every child is expected to learn (such as George Washington being the first president of the USA) and which stuff is known more by historians and social studies teachers? And as you’re discussing the rest of the visitors, think back on how the answers you give would impact the historical aspect.

The Economist:

You don’t have to know the exact cost of every single thing in your world, but have a good guess. Be able to at least have a scale of price. If someone can buy a loaf of bread for 13 of your world’s currency, but a house costs 17, that would mean that either that bread is very expensive, that house is very cheap, or each unit of your currency is equal to a lot of real world money. Whatever you use to refer to your currency, keep not only price scaling in mind, but economics. If you have a port city, there’s going to be a lot of merchants in that area. The first primary export you’re likely to see in such a port town would be seafood, but also keep in mind the things that are closet to that port, as well as the climate. Greece for instance is a very rocky and mountainous country, so while they can grow crops, they would not have been any match for medieval French Aquitaine, the crown jewel of medieval farming territory. It’s also worth remembering that food in the middle ages was far more valuable than it is today. There was an old saying that wheat is worth its weight in gold. It was southern France’s bountiful soil that caused it to become one of the richest and most coveted territories in medieval Europe.  So, keep in mind where resources would come from and where they would need to go, as well as trade that would be useful. A seaside farming town might not have any good access to raw minerals, while a city in the frozen mountainous north might not be able to grow crops, but are bountiful in minerals. The correlation of supply and demand now opens a vital trade route between them. This becomes more complex when the topic of war comes into play. The kingdom that supplies your crops and food is at war with your oldest ally. Now there’s a dilemma between having enough food to feed your people, or betraying the trust of a long time friend. Now your world building can be used as a part of your drama and narrative tension. The economy also impacts culture. What is considered a display of wealth, or is a common status symbol? What are the living conditions of the poor, the working class, the rich, and the aristocrats? Is there upward mobility? In the middle ages, you were what you were for the most part, especially serfs: peasants tied to their land. It was illegal to leave your territory, but there was a saying in the middle ages that “city air makes you free” that once a serf made it to a city, they’d be free of the life they’ve escaped.

The Anthropologist:

Every society has a culture. The way they act, think, dress, believe, talk. It’s all impacted by culture. Beliefs tend to be tied either to what has come before, or based on the world as observed. While many modern fantasy pantheons are based on ancient Greece, it’s not the only model to live by. In a loose interpretation, religion in it’s earliest stages was a rudimentary science used to explain why things happened. A culture that developed along rivers, sea coasts, and other popular trade routes are far more likely to be diverse melting pots due to the frequent traffic of people coming and going, and the common sight of foreigners choosing to set down roots. Meanwhile, a more out of the way and isolated culture is far less likely to have widespread cultural diversity. Tying back into history, a country that has experienced a number of successful wars may tend to think of themselves as invincible, or may try to police the issues of other countries, assuming they’re always on the right side, or that they can’t be defeated. The same culture may ask a high price of any other culture that asks them for militaristic support. Ask what things your people value, be they material or abstract ideals. However, try to refrain from creating a Planet of Hats, a trope often seen in Star Trek and similar Sci-Fi shows and even some Fantasy stories where everyone of a single race all have mostly the same skills, interests, personalities, and roles in the global culture. This is also the time to start thinking about myths, legends, folk heroes, and historical people and events worth celebrating, as this may be when you start to craft holidays or celebrations. This could also lead into discussing religion, and the gods or lack there of that might be celebrated by your culture. How does your society reflect itself in art, music, literature, dance. Does the way someone dresses tell you something about their place in society? Some taboos come from simple logic. The reason it’s frowned upon to eat a cow in India is the same reason it’s immoral to eat horse in western culture. Both are beast of burden livestock worth a lot more alive than dead. Cows produce milk, a source of nutrients and health. Horses are strong and were used in just about everything from plowing fields to pulling entire families or communities a great distance. Horses even became status symbols, as even in modern culture, owning a horse or pony is still considered to be (largely) a snobby rich person thing. Understanding not only what your people believe, but even just a vague idea why they would believe it is a vital aspect.

The Diplomat:

As this landing party is your fantasy world’s first contact with our own reality. How would they react to the newcomers? If there’s more than one society in your world, how would each society, country, kingdom, race, etc. react to something completely foreign? Would they try to forge an alliance? Open trade negotiations? Declare war? Prepare a feast? How would they feel about the way we dress? act? talk? How would they react to different levels of progression in technology? Could an unbiased third party from our world help two feuding sides come to peace with one another? How would they feel about knowing of a world beyond their own? Are there actions or behaviors acceptable in our own society that are considered offensive to them?

The Cartographer:

Although it’s not necessary that all fantasy worlds have a fully designed map, it is a good idea to have at least a rough idea of where things are in relation to one another. This can tell you about climate, resources, wildlife, natural borders, natural disasters, food chains, and more. It’s worth at least taking a crash course in understanding how geographical biomes tend to be laid out in order to make your world feel more real. Some authors claim that a world map is the single most important feature, others say it’s not that important. Frankly, trust your gut based on the kind of world you have. You may need a map, you may not. It really depends on the size and scope of your world. For instance, with Disney’s

Zootopia

, the entire world doesn’t matter. The audience doesn’t need to know where in the world Zootopia is, or what climate or biome it’s in. Zootopia itself is the world being built, and the separate districts and biomes of the city explain the world that’s being focused on.

Secondary Visitors:

They may still be important to your world, but are less likely to be universally helpful to all people.

Biologist: if your world has creatures beyond those found in our real world, it may be worth exploring how their bodies work on a more scientific level in order to give more realistic weight to their supernatural abilities.

Linguist/Translator: If you feel compelled to come up with a language no matter how basic or complex, it may be worth while to consider the problems with communication. this may also extend to unique idioms, colloquialisms, and slang native to your fantasy world.

Teacher/Scholar: Regardless of whether or not there is a formal education system in place in your world, a teacher may be interested in how knowledge is passed down, and what information the culture might have that would be unknown to people of our world. Whether that’s how to keep a wild animal from charging you, to knowing how to forge a mineral that exists only in your world, being able to readily answer questions is generally considered to be a good thing.

Healer: There may be healing spells in your world, there may not, but most fantasy stories tend to involve either action or adventure, both of which tend to cause fights. And since fights tend to lead to injuries, it’s important to know what can and cannot be treated, and how readily available these healing abilities are to the public.

[seasncke]

*          ––––––     ›         TASK      001 .         :           CHARACTER           INTERVIEW         !

*          ––––––     ›        PART  I .         :        THE    INTERVIEW         !

WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME ?

“  lucerys  velaryon .  “

WHAT IS YOUR FULL TITLE / OCCUPATION ?

there  is  only  a  moments  hesitation –––  bastard  of  the  tides  lingers  bitterly  at  the  tip  of  his  tongue .  “  lord  lucerys  of  house  velaryon .  “

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS / LOVED ONES CALL YOU ?

“  it’s  a  faint  memory ,  “  and  it  fades  further  with  each  day . “ but  my  late  mother  used  to  refer  to  me  as  lucy .  ”  he  continues  after  a  beat .  “  and  my  family  and  those  closest  to  me  are  permitted  to  call  me  luce . “

WHERE WERE YOU BORN ?

“  in  the  lord’s  chambers  at  driftmark .  ” 

DO YOU HAVE SIBLINGS ?

“  i  have  three . “

DO YOU HAVE CHILDREN ? DO YOU WANT THEM ?

“  i  have  a  child  ,  yes .  ”  a  little  girl  ,  born  out  of  wedlock  and  by  a  woman  with  whom  there  was  no  romantic  connection .  “  i’m  in  rare  contact  with  the  child  i  have  and  i  haven’t  a  need  for  anymore .  ”   

DO YOU HAVE A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FAMILY ?

“  my  relationship  with  my  family  is . . .  ”  the  true  nature  of  his  relationship  with  his  immediate  family  was  not  information  he  would  readily  volunteer .  he  would  keep  up  appearances  for  the  good  of  his  house .  maybe  he  was  becoming  more  and  more  a  velaryon .  “  quite  positive  and  growing  even  more  so  everyday . “ 

DO YOU HAVE ANY FAMILY TRADITIONS / MEMORIES THAT YOU VALUE ?

“  there  is  one  memory  i  cherish –––  after  my  mother’s  death  father  took  my  eldest  brother  and  i  out  on  the  water  in  a  boat  he’d  had  personally  crafted  to  replicate  corlys  velaryon’s  own  vessel  the  sea  snake .  he’d  never  let  either  of  us  near  it  until  that  day  and  i’d  been  obsessed  with  it .  ”   there  is  no  mention  of  him  being  tossed  from  the  watercraft .  that  was  the  day  he’d  learned  to  swim . it  was  either  sink  or  float . 

HOW DO YOU TYPICALLY SPEND A DAY ?

“  i  try  to  stray  from  routine .  there  is  no  typical  day  for  me .  though  when  i’m  at  home  on  driftmark  i  spend  a  considerable  amount  of  time  in  blackwater  bay .  ”     

ARE YOU RELIGIOUS ?

“  i  find  the  followers  of  rh’llor  to  be  an  interesting  sort  as  far  as  religious  views  go .  but  i  place  my  faith  in  none  but  myself .  ”

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH ?

“  my  ability  to  endure .  “  his  entire  life  has  been  a  test  of  endurance .  

YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESS ?

“  would  it  be  arrogant  to  suggest  i  don’t  have  one ? “  but  there  is  one .  just  the  one . would  rid  himself  of  the  facade  he  wears  for  his  house  for  her .  

DESCRIBE A HIDDEN TALENT / LITTLE KNOWN SKILL YOU BELIEVE YOU POSESS.

“  i'm  fairly  adept  at  food  preparation .  ”  he’d  picked  up  quite  a  few  things  hiding  in  the  kitchens  as  a  boy .   

DO YOU FALL IN LOVE EASILY ?

“ in  my  life  i  have  only  ever  fallen  in  love  with  one  person ––  i  would  presume  that  answers  your  question .  ”   

DO YOU HAVE SOMEONE YOU WOULD DIE FOR ? WHO ?

“  i do .  ”  his  response  is  curt .  to  the  point .  “  who  that  person  might  be  is  of  little  importance .  what  do  you  stand  to  gain  from  the answer ? ”  

DESCRIBE YOUR LIFE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW.

“  i  can’t  plan  that  far  ahead  but  i  see  myself  remarried .  ”  happily  this  time  around  and  to  the  woman  he’d  loved  throughout  the  whole  of  his  marriage  to  joanna .  the  woman  he  should’ve  married  all  along .  out  of  this  god  forsaken  kingdom  and  back  in  essos  ,  a  place  that  in  five  years  had  come  to  feel  more  like  home  than  his  own .  living  out  a  dream  that  had  died  long  ago .  

DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE A SECRETIVE PERSON ?

“  with  regards  to  some  things  i  would  prefer  not  to  be . ”  living  with  what  has  been  his  best  kept  secret  for  all  these  years  eats  away  at  him  slow  but  sure .  “  who  among  us  can  go  through  life  without  having  a  few  secrets .  ”

IS THERE A SECRET RELATED TO YOU THAT YOU HIDE FROM MOST PEOPLE ?

“  if  i  shared  it  with  you  it  wouldn’t  be  much  of  a  secret  now  would  it ?  ”

DO YOU PUT YOURSELF BEFORE OTHERS , OR OTHERS BEFORE YOURSELF ?

“  i’ve  my  house  to  think  about  so  the  latter  would  seem  the  appropriate  response .  ”  

DO YOU LIKE YOURSELF ?

“  less  and  less  with  each  coming  day .  i  liked  the  man  i  was  before. . . ”

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON ?

“  i  don’t  know  that  i  believe  in  good  people .  never mind  examining  whether  or  not  i  fit  into  such  a  category .  ”

ARE YOU A VENGEFUL PERSON ?

“ that  is  something  measured  on  a  case  by  case  basis .  ” 

*          ––––––     ›        PART  II .         :       THE     INTERROGATION         !

WHAT BRINGS YOU TO THE CAPITAL ?

“  the  very  thing  that  has  brought  all  of  the  houses  of  westeros  together .  ”

WHAT ARE YOUR IMPRESSIONS OF THE RED KEEP ?

“  it  would  be  banal  to  say  it  doesn’t  compare  to  my  ancestral  home  wouldn’t  it ?  what i  shall  say  instead  is  the  first  time  i  laid  eyes  upon  the  red  keep  i  was  mystified  by  the  sight  of  it .  i’ve  been  here  too  often  to  feel  much  of  anything  in  regards  to  it  now .  ”         

ARE YOU PARTAKING IN THE FESTIVITIES AS AN INVITED GUEST , OR SOMEONE IN SERVICE TO AN INVITED GUEST ? 

“  i  hail  from  a  notable  house  of  the  crownlands  and  one  which  has  been  steadfast  allies  of  house  targaryen  dating  back  to  aegon’s  conquest .  naturally  as  a  lord  of  house  velaryon  i  partake  in  the  festivities  as  a  loyal  and  invited  guest  of  the  crown .   ”

DID YOU ATTEND THE WELCOME FEAST ?

“  of  course .  ”   there  had  been  instances  throughout  the  night  where  he’d  stepped  away  to  clear  his  head  or  to  escape  the  multitude  of  presences  from  his  own  house  but  he’d  been  there  –––  in  the  thick  of  it .  “  anything  else  surely  would’ve  been  seen  as  a  slight  against  the  royal  family .  ”     

IF SO , CAN YOU ACCOUNT FOR YOUR WHEREABOUTS DURING THE MURDER ? CAN ANYONE VERIFY THIS ACCOUNT ? 

“ i  wasn’t  aware  i  was  on  trial  for  the  murder .  ”  but  he  has  nothing  to  hide .  “  unlike  my  siblings  i  resolved  to  keep  my  wits  about  me .  i’d  been  refusing  the  refilling  of  my  cup  when  the  kingsguard’s  murder  was  announced .  there  were  a  considerable  amount  of  cupbearers  at  the  feast  but  bring  me  those  who  served  that  night  and  i  could  easily  point  her  out  for  you  for  she  is  exactly  who  could  attest  to  my  account .  ”

DID YOU SEE , HEAR , OR OVERHEAR ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL IN THE INVESTIGATION ?

“   eavesdropping  isn’t  my  area  of  expertise  nor  is  it  something  i  tend  to  engage  in .  i  don’t  trouble  myself  with  the  affairs  of  others  lest  it  serve  myself  or  my  house .”

WHAT MOTIVE MIGHT SOMEONE HAVE FOR MURDERING A KINGSGUARD ?

“  from  an  outside  perspective  it  would  seem  to  be  to  prove  a  point .  if  there  was  ill  intent  as  is  being  suggested  it  might’ve  been  to  leave  a  message .  on  a  personal  leave  it  could’ve  been  an  act  committed  in  a  moment  of  passion .  perhaps  the  crown  has  enemies  or  perhaps  the  enemies  belonged  solely  to  the  guard . ”  

DO YOU BELIEVE THIS MURDER WAS / WILL BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT ? EXPLAIN.

“  it  would  be  nice  if  that  were  the  case .  ”  house  targaryen  had  welcomed  chaos  into  the  red  keep  the  minute  they’d  called  for  the  houses  that  made  up  the  seven  to  co-exist  in  a  confined  space .    

IF YOU WERE ASKED TO LAY BLAME UPON ONE OF THE HOUSES RUMORED TO BE NEAR AT THE TIME OF THE MURDER ( STARK , MARTELL , and HIGHTOWER ) , WHO WOULD YOU HOLD RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCH A HEINOUS ACT ?

“  house  stark .  ”  the  house  had  never  been  fond  of  having  a  southron  ruler  and  had  for  a  time  successfully  resisted  targaryen  rule .  aegon  and  daenerys  united  the  two  kingdoms  for  humanity’s  sake  but  the  north  would  never  truly  serve  house  targaryen .  they  were  an  inflexible  sort  –––  northerners .  they  keep  to  tradition  and  have  respect  only  for  their  own .  accept  only  their  own .  “  northerners  may  be  looking  to  reinstate  the  title  of  king  in  the  north .  the  war  is  long  past  and  the  relative  peace  we’ve  enjoyed  is  settling  like  dust .  westeros  is  long  overdue  for  a  rebellion  and  need  i  remind  you  which  house  was  the  catalyst  for  our  last  great  rebellion .  ”

[vaedar]

Headcanons: Valyrian Geography, Geology, Climate

       In this post, I'll be giving a general description of my headcanons for the geography, geology, climate and other related matters of the valyrian peninsula. It is important to remember that the details and descriptions given here apply only to interactions in this blog for RP purposes and references, they are not official nor canon unless stated otherwise. Also important to remark that some of the descriptions may not fit the laws of reality because this is fantasy and GRRM himself has stated so when people try to give logical, realistic and scientific explanations to how the ASOIAF world works.

Over here you may find more of my headcanons on Valyria. Under cut because it’s a little long.

Terrain

       The majority of the lands in the peninsula are filled with mountains, hills, cliffs and valleys between them. These mountainous regions were more common to the north and center, extending to the southern areas though with reduced heights ( sort of like a 'T' form ), along with the Fourteen Flames. Roads were built between these mountain paths to connect the valyrian cities. To the east and west, the mountain ranges were lower, considered to be more hills rather than mountains but cliffs were actually common right by the coasts. Beaches did exist but more to the south, as well as rivers that flowed in the valleys created between the mountains of the center, north, east and west ( as shown in the map ). Some of these beaches actually had black sand, one of the many effects of the volcanic activity in the peninsula.

Fourteen Flames

      It might be best to start off with the heart, life force and source of the Doom in the valyrian peninsula. The Fourteen Flames is the canon name given to a chain of active volcanoes, where creatures such as dragons and firewyrms could be found. They've been burning for thousands of years ( probably more ), even before the Valyrian Freehold was first founded. These volcanoes affected both directly and indirectly the entirety of the peninsula and a little beyond, in positive and not so positive ways. The valyrians with their magical prowess learned to control or tame the fury of the fires ( as they did with dragons ) to the point where civilization could thrive albeit the close proximity of such a dangerous and deadly force. They were mainly concentrated on the region between the cities of Tyria and Oros, north to Valyria but there were also isolated peaks scattered in other areas of the land. The more common types were composite volcanoes but there were also shield and cinder cone peaks.

On the positive aspects of the presence of these active ( but thanks to valyrian sorcery ) controlled volcanoes, volcanic soils ( in real life known as andisols ) developed and impacted agriculture, fauna and flora. It was particularly positive in the norther region of the peninsula, over at the Lands of the Long Summer, where produce was abundant ( back then, more so than the The Reach in Westeros ). It's from here that most of the food comes to feed the lands and peoples all around the peninsula and a little beyond, connected by the wide and long dragon or valyrian roads. All sorts of crops were grown ( tomatoes, olives, grapes, corn, citrus fruits, tea plants, vegetables and spices ), and from these, the best wines were produced. There was also a wide variety of plants and flowers.

Another positive and it's actually one of the things the valyrians are or were known for the most, are the precious minerals and materials mined from the area in the Fourteen Flames. The constant but controlled flow of magma from within the earth's crust and then of lava that solidifies, as well as volcanic ash; make these precious minerals and metals pretty abundant—though they are highly dangerous to mine. Amongst these minerals and ores mined were gold, silver, garnet, obsidian, and of course, the all famous metal for the 'magical alloy' integrated into valyrian steel ( on that in another post ).

On the negative aspects, the danger would probably be the highest hazard, not just for the risk of eruption but the quality of the air and how the volcanoes affect the general climate. This however, is something that valyrians did control through sorcery and other ways, and the rest of the peoples adapted through out thousands of years. The mining for slaves was fatal and hundreds ( and more ) died while mining in the Fourteen Flames.

Climate and Weather

In terms of general climate over the valyrian peninsula area, it can be comparable to that of a real life Mediterranean climate only a little hotter still. We know that seasons in the ASOIAF world are still not really explained but when the true summer time is on the valyrian peninsula, it's more often hot and dry rather than humid but not to the point of the arid dry climate of Dorne. The seasons of spring and fall are not really noticeable and during winter, the temperatures are generally more on the higher average of warmth for the winter period. Humidity is higher then and rains are far more common than summer season but it does not snow. At night, the temperatures did get a little lower but not much to make a significant difference from daylight temperatures. It's a pretty stable climate.

Particular things that do have association with the existence of the Fourteen Flames in the peninsula are the presence of more clouds, most of them from the volcanoes. The light of the sun does filter through however, enough to give the higher temperatures on the land. An effect of this interaction can be seen in the valyrian sunsets, which are commonly more vividly red  ( mixed with the blue, it could be thought to have purple hues as well ) rather than the more orange-yellow hued sunsets observed in the rest of the continent. In the evenings, the clouds maintained a somewhat red tone to them mixed with the dark grey, an effect of the faint glow originating from the Fourteen Flames reflected on the clouds and sky above the volcanic mountains.

After the Doom

|| To be applied to all verses taking place after 114 B.C., and based on the Path of the Last Embers storyline ||

The massive and simultaneous eruption by all Fourteen Flames changed the valyrian peninsula entirely. It was no longer an attached area of land but shattered in three main islands surrounded by dozens of smaller ones. The area where the Fourteen Flames stood is now known as the Smoking Sea. Though the majority of the volcanoes were swallowed by the catastrophic tsunamis and the sudden rising sea levels, there are those still above ground centuries after the Doom. It's their fires that can be seen in the distance away from the coast, the red hue reflected on the skies and clouds with even more intensity than before the Doom, as they are now active due to the lack of powerful valyrian magic to control them.

The peninsula was mainly shattered and divided into three main islands right over where the rivers used to flow through the land, where it was easier for the giant waves to wash inland and swallow it. Due to the submerged ground, the water is sometimes muddy and very difficult to navigate. A form of volcanic fog covers great part of the land ( mainly the northern area ) that remains as well as the entirety of the Smoking Sea, which can be toxic for unprotected people. The survivors of Valyria are protected from these toxins in the ruins of the city.

The climate does differ slightly from that before the Doom in the temperatures, now a little less warm and more humid, less sunlight manages to filter through the thicker clouds and fog. For long years, they were low enough to be considered cold or tempered but in the recent century or two, it has risen again enough to once again be on the warm and hotter side. Vegetation has slowly began to cover the ruins of the valyrian cities and the rest of the land, growing unhindered by civilization. Animals did survive the Doom and others from outside places, mostly flying or swimming fauna, have moved and now inhabit the remains of the shattered peninsula.

UPDATE:

It is important to remember that this is a fantasy world, so I would like to add that had the Doom taken place in our real life world, the whole planet would’ve been rendered uninhabitable and pretty much the human race would’ve gone extinct. In the best of circumstances, human race would’ve been thrust back into the stone age. So a reminder that these headcanons are all based on the fact that his is a fantasy world, and that laws of nature and physics do not always apply here, considering we have the factor of magic mixed into the equation, which is something Valyrians were skilled in. 

This is all for the general descriptions of the headcanon for now. Please do keep in mind that they have the purpose of serving as references and can be modified accordingly to the interactions. The images used are all found on my board of Valyria over at Pinterest, the artists and/or sources are there.