Mantalos

Mantalos is a small town about fifty leagues southeast of Pentos, located within the centre of the Flat Lands of southern Andalos.

## History

In the early moons of 218AC, a great light was seen in the sky over the Flat Lands, which grew brighter until a thunderous roar was heard from Braavos to Volantis. Fearing the wrath of the gods, the Pentosi, whom represented the nearest Free City were quick to sacrifice their Prince Vargillos Dynolis, hoping it would spare them from whatever misfortune such an incident was believed to bring.

Curiosity soon gnawed at those of the City however, and the magisters soon sent out riders and scouts to investigate what truly had occurred. Within a moon they discovered a disc of oily black stone, no wider than a man's palm, embedded deep into the grasses and dirt of the Flat Lands, although around it the soil has been thrown aside, the base of the crater blackened and hard.

News of the stone spread quickly upon the lips of the sailors whom called port at Pentos, famed for serving trade routes from across the Known World. It was to little surprise then, when people from the corners of the continent and beyond started to arrive, seeking to witness the oddity for themselves. The magisters, under the guise of commands from the Prince of Pentos at the time, Varys Mantalos set about construction of a new settlement around the fallen stone, hoping to profit from those visiting. Within half a decade, a thriving town had been founded, given the name Mantalos by the residents, whom saw the Prince Varys as the driving force behind its creation.

Amongst the residents were representatives of the Church of Starry Wisdom, whom hoped the open and well-known tale of the fallen stone would help shift the sinister reputation their beliefs carried. The Church quickly became the dominant religion in Mantalos, before spreading northwest to Pentos, where it has grown to become the most popular faith amongst the noble and commonfolk alike.

When the disease known to maesters and learned men as *Burning Decay* swept through the western aspect of Essos, it was given the name Revenge of R'hllor's by those whom still followed the Lord of Light, believing the plague was sent as punishment for the heresy that the pilgrims from the Far East had brought with them.

In 232AC, the Triarchs of Volantis sent a force to destroy the town, but were thrown back by a Pentosi-backed sellsword company the Brazen Titans. This skirmish would soon be given the name the Clash of Fire and Stars, and is the reason that sellsword companies still linger within the territory of the town, despite the ban placed on the Free City to which Mantalos is a vassal.

Recently the town was visited and threatened by Khal Azho and his Khalasar. The townsfolk made an attempt to pay the dothraki for peace but were enslaved anyway. The town now lies in ruin with its church destroyed and its famed stone stolen.

## Layout

Mantalos remains a small but ruined town, its walls of simple stone palisades layered around the main entrances have been torn down and the homes for the now enslaved residents have been burnt.

Located at the centre of the town within the ruined church is the location of where it's famed stone used to lie. The church is still - in its ruined state - the largest singular building in Mantalos. Taking up nearly a fifth of the entire town, the sprawling towered construction was the site of services lead by the Twilight Priests, whose robes of dark blue-black are dappled with spots of white and yellow.