Elyria

Elyria is a city found on an island just east of the Valyrian Peninsula.

It is currently ruled by a mixture of individuals who claim descent from both the Old Blood of Valyria and the Ghiscari of the Bay of Dragons.

## History

Elyria was founded by the Valyrian Freehold. Although rich and glorious, it did not have self-rule and was instead governed by men and women sent from Valyria to rule in the name of the Freehold and thus it is not counted among the Free Cities. Like Mantarys, Elyria was not destroyed by the Doom, but found itself significantly weakened by the loss of the centre of the Freehold.

It does not carry the same infamous reputation afforded to Mantarys.

## Recent History

In 313AC, Daenerys Targaryen created an alliance with the Valyrian successor-state of Elyria, using their forces to help her reclaim Meereen.

Following the death of Triarch Laerys Vaelaros in 364AC, accusations carried across the Bay of Dragons, raising tensions between the cities of Tolos and Elyria and those of Astapor, Yunkai and Meereen. Tolos, and by indirect measure Elyria, had sought to gain much for the deals proposed by Triarch Laerys, which may have resulted in reduced trade into the Bay of Dragons as a result. The timing of Vaelaros’ death mere moons before he was due to sail for the Gulf of Grief proved too suspicious for the rulers of the City of Slingers, and thus they petitioned the Queen of Elyria, the intrepid Aerea Calgaris to ready a fleet and an army as they send messages forth to captains of a great manner of sellsword and sellsail companies.

Through the Three Sails and the sellsword companies the Lost Legion and Hidak’s Circle, they seized the Isle of Cedars, beating back a token Astapori force upon the isle at the First Battle of Needle Hill, sometimes also recalled as Graghdir’s Folly for the losses of the general placed in charge of the island’s defence. The isle was effectively turned into a tollgate by the Tolosi who patrolled the straits either side with slender warships crewed by the slingers for which the city is so famed. Those bound for Tolos and Elyria were allowed to pass, but all those bound for the cities on the eastern shore of the Bay were sent away by the more generous captains, and captured and pillaged by those less scrupulous and more greedy.

Unlike the formation of the blockade, which had necessitating but one battle, its dissolution at the hands of the Targaryen Monarchy required three. At the Battle of the Baywater the Astapori navy engaged with the Three Sails, only to be forced into retreat by the arrival of the Elyrian fleet. Three days later, they would return, reinforced by ships from Yunkai and Meereen, and deliver a stunning victory. The Three Sails broke contract and fled, leaving the Elyrian fleet grossly outnumbered. Stranded as the remaining ships of Elyria hurried back home to the west, the Elyrian soldiers made a valiant final stand upon the Isle of Cedars at the Second Battle of Needle Hill, but soon they succumbed to the onslaught brought by the troops of Master Martell of Yunkai, not a quarter of a year after they had first taken the isle. With Elyria broken, it was the turn of the Tolosi to face the wrath of the dragon.