The Rise of Volantis

The Rise of Volantis was the name given to the series of aggressive expansions of Volantene territory, led by the tiger triach Goranesso Dynahran. This gave Goranesso great popularity amongst the merchants and other residents of the city, eventually leading to him declaring himself triach for life. Continuing his conquest, the Dragon of Volantis eventually grew unfavoured by the populace when the casualties began to peak.

His despotism was ended by Aelyx Targaryen, who incinerated Goranesso as he resided over the execution of several high profile political prisoners.

## Timeline of the Rise

### Selhorys

The walled town of Selhorys had always been traditionally resided over by the Volantene, but during the first years of the 380ACs, the people of the settlement had grown restless, influenced by the extensive timber trade with the northwest city of Qohor, demanding freedom from Volantis as to reduce the taxation placed on Qohorik imports into the town.

Not desiring the loss of the Selhorys' strategic position on the confluence between the Selhoru and the lower Rhoyne, the tiger triach of Volantis, Goranesso Dynahran, moved a force of soldiers to re-subjugate the citizens. Meeting minimal resistance, the tiger's troops quickly ensured the stability of Selhorys as part of Volantene territory once again.

### Chroyane

With a sizeable force already far north of Volantis, Goranesso decides to push further up the Rhoyne, claiming the fertile lands between Selhorys and Chroyane with little difficulty.

When the force reached the ruined, fog-covered city of Chroyane, the commander, a man by the name Qohero Maegyr, was hesitant to enter the supposedly cursed ruins, through which the spirits of dead dragonlords and the shambling stone men supposedly roamed. Instead, the army marched around to the east, finding themselves with the Golden Fields. The fecund lands, too, were quickly claimed, further extending the reach of Volantis northward.

### The Dragon of Volantis

The increase of food, production and manpower from the claimed lands led to an upsurge in popularity of the tiger triach Goranesso, considered by many to be the sole reason behind the change. Capitalising on public opinion, he quickly declares himself triach for life, proclaiming he is no longer a tiger, but instead a dragon.

His popularity only started to wain after a series of repeated failures over the coming years resulted in widespread Volantene casualties, eventually relying on fear, subjugation and use of gruesome public executions to remain in power.

### Ny Sar and Ar Noy

Fueled by greed and the desire to prove himself to the citizens of Volantis as a true Dragon, Goranesso continued to push further and further north.

Meeting with a small Norvoshi force comprised of around two thousand men, a few hundred horse and a dozen galleys, the Volantene army engages in a heated, but ultimately one sided battle at the ruined Rhoynar city of Ny Sar at the confluence of the Rhoyne and the Noyne rivers. When they continue further up the river Noyne, they meet greater resistance, leading to a bloody stalemate.

Holding the northeastern border of the new Volantene territory at Ny Sar, the Dragon of Volantis orders another large force, comprising of tens of thousands of men to take the ancient city of Ar Noy upon the Darkwash. Once again, his men are met by heavy resistance, and find themselves falling into a retreat, fortifying just north of Dagger Lake.

### The Disputed Lands

Aware that he had made little progress in northern conquest since his declaration of dragonhood, Goranesso's gaze instead turns to the east, and the disputed lands fought over so bitterly by the Three Daughters.

With the remainder of the soldiers from the battles of Ny Sar and Ar Noy, their numbers bolstered by several sellsword companies, including the Lost Khalasar and the Thrice-Damned, Goranesso moved up the Lhorulu to its source, before marching them down to the two great lakes southwest of Myr.

At the same time, another larger force sweeps westbound from Volantis itself, past the vassal city of Volon Therys and its great high white-stone walls, along the Orange Shore, before marching north to meet with the other force.

Within the year, the land cordoned off soon submits, becoming part of the territory of Volantis. At the turn of 385AC, Volantis claimed dominion of near third of the portion of Essos west of the Dothraki Sea.

The skirmishes would continue to attempt to push further west into the disputed lands, but this too would meet heavy resistance by Myrish and Tyroshi armies, combined with the plethora of sellsword companies whose support had been purchased by the Three Daughters.

Despite an increasing toll, both through financial burden and number of lives, Goranesso continued to press firmly against the forces marshalled to defend the Disputed Lands.

### The Capture of the Archon's brother and the End of the Dragon

Travelling by ship to Lys in an attempt to enlist their increased support, the Archon of Tyrosh sent his brother and a convoy, which was subsequently set upon by the Volantene fleet, and the Archon's brother sent to Volantis for imprisonment. As Tyrosh continued to fight against the armies of Volantis, Goranesso sent a message to the Archon declaring that he should command the Tyroshi army cease or his brother would be slowly taken apart, piece by piece before a cheering crowd of loyal Volantene citizens.

The men that fought beneath the Tyroshi banner did not lay down their arms, but instead continued to resist, scoring a major victory at the Battle of the Burnt Sand, fought under a sun so intense that it is said that men stopped to remove their armour during the onslaught, believing their chances of survival greater free from the extreme heat under layers of plate and leather.

Following Tyrosh's defiance, Goranesso returned to Volantis, to precede over the execution of the Archon's brother, declaring he would tear at the Tyroshi's flesh himself, for his impudence towards the Dragon of Volantis.

As the procession began, Aelyx Targaryen, having heard tales of the Triach’s fraudulent claims of dragonlordship, landed atop the great black walls surrounding the oldest part of the city. Declaring loudly that Goranesso was no dragonlord, Aelyx uttered *Dracarys*, and Viserion engulfed the Volantene in flame, ending his despotism over the city and Essos.

In reward, Aelyx was offered the hand of the Archon of Tyroshi’s daughter in marriage, which he accepted, understanding that the strength of the Tyroshi fleet would be an invaluable asset for his forthcoming intentions.