Principality of Dorne

Coat of Arms of the Principality

Map of Dorne

The **Principality of Dorne** is an Independent Kingdom that hold the great deserts of Southern Westeros, called Dorne. The Kingdom found their independence in the year 400 AC, after the death of King Vaeron I Targaryen during the Black Feast. It was then during that time that a meeting of the High Lords were summoned and given positions within the new council government.

The ruler of the government are of House Martell, given the titles of "Prince of Dorne/Princess of Dorne". The High Lords consisting of House Yronwood, House Dayne, House Fowler, and House Uller were given governorship over four Providences.

The Coat of Arms for the Principality is a Gold Sun on a Black Shield. Two swords cross behind the shield with vines growing out the back, a gold castle sits on top of the shield. The Gold Sun represents the Princes of House Martell. The Shield represents House Yronwood for their defense of the Boneway. The Castle represents House Fowler that hold the peaks of the Princes Pass. The Swords represents House Dayne who are the soldiers of the Kingdom. Finally the Gold Vines represent House Uller, those that provide for the Interior of the Kingdom.

## Government

The head of the Government is the Royal Family, where each member of House Martell holds the title Prince or Princes. The head of the Household is given the title "Prince of Dorne" and is the Monarch of the Kingdom.

In the day to day ruling of the Principality is ran by the Prince, but in doing so the Monarch is assisted with his job by the Crown's Council. This council holds six seats that advise the king in the day to day ruling as well as given the job of selecting a regent when the Prince is unable to run the council and the heir is not capable either. The seats in the council are as follows.

* ***Dornish Castellan*** - The Political Adviser and chairman of Foreign Affairs
* ***Commander of the Riders*** - They command the *"Sand Riders"*, an elite 5,000 unit of Light Cavalry guards that dispense the Princes Justice and protects the Royal Family.
* ***Warden of the Sands*** - The General of the Dornish Land Army when they are called upon.
* ***Commander of Seas*** - The General in charge of constructing and manning the Dornish Navy.
* ***Marshal of Justice*** - Commander of the *"Spear Sons"* and trusted with enforcing the Princes Laws throught the Kingdom.
* ***Lord Seneschal of Dorne*** - In charge of the trade, taxes, and minting new coinage for the Kingdom.

Below the council is the Providence Lords of the Kingdom that rule over the four regions of the Kingdom. These are given to the High Lords designated by the Prince. Once the Kingdom informed the Iron Throne of their secession from the Kingdom, the High Lords were given new honorific titles; "**Lord Governor**". The four provinces are as follows:

* **Boneway** - Given to House Yronwood to govern, this is domain is of lands south of the Dornish Marshes to the city of 'The Tor'.
* **Princes Pass** - Given to House Fowler to govern, this domain is the land between the Red Mountains and the Dornish Marches of the Reach.
* **Land of Desert and Water** - Given to House Dayne to govern, this domain is all lands that touch the river Torentine and the Great Western Desert of Dorne.
* **Dornish Bread Basket** - Given to House Uller to govern, this domain is all the land between the Brimstone River and the junction between the Vaith, the Scourge, and the Greenblood rivers.

## Geography

Dorne is the hottest region of Westeros. The region is rocky, mountainous, arid and dry, and features the only desert on the continent. Dorne is bordered by the Sea of Dorne to the north, the islands known as the Stepstones to the east, and the Summer Sea to the south. Stretched between them is the mountain range known as the Red Mountains, which separates Dorne from the stormlands to the north and the Reach to the northwest and west. There are two major passes, the Boneway and the Prince's Pass, which go through the Red Mountains to the Dornish Marches of the stormlands. The Prince's Pass leads to Nightsong, while the Boneway leads to Summerhall. Sunspear and the Water Gardens, both controlled by the ruling House Martell, are located in southeastern Dorne.

Most of Dorne south of the Red Mountains is an arid wasteland. Eastern Dorne largely consists of dry, stony soil ill-suited for agriculture, while western Dorne contains deserts of red and white sand. The lords of House Vaith, for instance, are known as the Lords of the Red Dunes, while nobles of old who settled desert oases called themselves the Lords of the Wells. Sand dogs live in the desert.

Dorne's rivers provide some fertile lands and even during a long summer there is enough rain and other supplies of water to keep Dorne habitable. Inland water is almost as valuable as gold, and wells are jealously guarded. The major Dornish river is the Greenblood in southeastern Dorne, which is formed by the Vaith and the Scourge near Godsgrace. The trading port called Planky Town is located at the mouth of the Greenblood along the Summer Sea. The Brimstone in southern Dorne flows past the Hellholt to the Summer Sea. The Torentine has its source in the Red Mountains of western Dorne and ends at Starfall along the Summer Sea. The Wyl flows across the Boneway in northern Dorne to the Sea of Dorne. There is another river in northern Dorne which flows near Yronwood to the Sea of Dorne, but its name is as yet unknown.

The southern coast is some four hundred leagues long. It is ridden with cliffs, whirlpools, and hidden shoals, with few safe landings.

## Economy

Dorne provides many exotic products which are uncommon in the rest of the Seven Kingdoms. These products include **olives**, **lemons**, **pomegranates**, **plums**, **cotton**, **cloth**, **spices**, and **blood oranges**. Lemon orchards, other fruit orchards and farms are watered by a spider's web of canals. Famous is also the use of **Spicy Dragon Peppers**. Because of the hot climate, in the deserts of Dorne water is most valueble, and every well is zealously guarded.

The Dornish produce their own wines, often called "***Dornish reds***". These wines are generally sour, though with more rich of taste. **Strongwines** from Dorne are as dark as blood, with a sweet taste.

Fabled are the **Sand Steeds** bred by the Dornish. These horses are slim and swift, with elegant heads, long necks, and flowing manes. They are considered to be the most beautiful horses in the Seven Kingdoms. Though they are smaller than regular warhorses and light-boned, unable to bear the weight of armor, they can run for near two days and a night before tiring, needing only a few drinks of water over the course of a day and a night.

Dornish yew is used to make bows. These bows are often called the Dornish Bow that is a type of Composite Bow that is used while riding their Sand Steeds.

In Sunspear's shadow city, numerous bazaars can be found. Before crossing the deep sands of the Dornish desert for the Prince's Pass, caravans take on supplies at Sunspear. Ships from across the narrow sea find the Planky Town a convenient harbor and come there to trade. As the port is located at the mouth of the Greenblood, often the orphans of the Greenblood come to trade, spreading the goods up and down the river.