Prostitution

Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment, most frequently coin. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute but is also known in *Clash of Crowns* by the term whore. Prostitutes who follow an army are included in the camp followers, and some are politely grouped with serving washerwomen. If a camp follower attaches herself to a single man for the duration of a campaign, she is referred to as a camp bride.

Some prostitutes cater to highly exclusive clientele, make a good enough living, and may to a certain extent pick and choose their clientele. Others take who they can get and do whatever they have to in order to survive, often living miserable lives. Many prostitutes in Essos are enslaved.

## Prostitutes in Westeros

Prostitutes are normally on the bottom rung of the ladder of society, even the wealthier ones, and are looked down upon by most people because of their trade. It is considered dishonourable for a nobleman to openly frequent whores and brothels. Despite these attitudes, Westeros teems with brothels and whores.

Many of the Night's Watch visit the whores in the Mole's Town brothel. Despite their vows to remain celibate, a blind eye is turned to it out of pragmatism.

Attitudes about sexuality are more relaxed in Dorne, so the view of Dornishmen toward prostitutes is more liberal, shown by Allyria Nymeros Martell openly frequenting the Stinger's Respite.

Some brothels in Westeros cater to more exclusive clientele. In contrast, the Lazy Eel is renowned for offering some of the oldest whores in White Harbour. Oldtown has unsavoury black brothels.

On Maiden's Day, maidens of noble houses are required to go to the sept to light tall white candles at the Maiden's feet and hang parchment garlands about her neck. On that day, mothers, whores, widows, and men are barred from the sept.

A virgin prostitute's maidenhead can cost a golden dragon.

Female whores feature most in Westeros, but there have been males in the profession, albeit rarely.

#### Known brothels in Westeros

* Lazy Eel
* Mole's Town brothel
* The Peach
* The Stinger's Respite

## Prostitutes in Essos

In the Free Cities and other places in Essos, the attitude towards prostitution is different, and there appears to be less ignominy in engaging the services of a whore. This may be because many of the Free Cities practice slavery and where there is slavery there will be sexual abuse and exploitation. Slaves who are whores have tears tattooed beneath their right eye.

The practice of slavery has created a thriving business in trained male and female bed-slaves, particularly from Lys, whose pillow houses and pleasure gardens are famous. Whether all enslaved whores are also trained bed-slaves is unlikely. Many slaves are forced into prostitution during childhood. Most have little or no hope of escaping this way of life, aside from suicide, and are crushed by the abuse and despair they endure.

The Ghiscari Red Graces are religious prostitutes housed in the Temple of the Graces in Meereen. There is no shame in their prostituting themselves, but the same cannot be said of the Westerosi counterpart.

In Braavos there are no slaves, so all the prostitutes are free people. However, there are three classes of prostitutes on Braavos: the highly esteemed professional courtesans; whores kept in a brothel; and the lowest street-walking dockside whores. Braavosi courtesans enjoy high status and are renowned worldwide.

### Known whores in Lys

* Johanna Swann
* Saera Targaryen

## Summer Isles

Summer Islanders esteem the art of lovemaking; there is no stigma to prostitution there.

## History

The ironborn reavers of old took captured women to be their whores and thralls.