Lorath

Lorath is one of the nine Free Cities, and considered by many to be the least powerful. It is located upon a group of islands in the Shivering Sea, near the northern coast of Essos.

Amongst the major noble families of Lorath are the families Ennahran, H'ghar, Mestir and Tor'phal.

## Recent History

Over the past half a century, there has been increased sightings of grey and white leviathans within Lorath Bay and further on throughout the Shivering Sea around the Free City. Recent and regular large shoals of fish passing through the cold waters is the most often cited reason for such an occurrence, but the number seems to grow each year.

## City

### Location

Lorath is located on the western side of the largest of three islands surrounded by storm seas. It is located at the mouth of Lorath Bay and, with the exception of Braavos, is the northernmost of the Free Cities. The second-largest island is Lorassyon, but there are a score of smaller isles. To the south of the isles is a thickly forested peninsula. The Lorathi also claim dominion over the waters of Lorath Bay, but fishing fleets from Braavos and whalers and sealers out of Ib often venture into the bay, for Lorath does not have sufficient strength to make good its claim. To the east is the Axe and the west Braavos. Morosh at the Sarne delta is a Lorathi colony. The Lorathi isles are bleak and stony, but in their waters plenty of cod, whales, and grey leviathans can be found, as well as colonies of walrus and seal.

Lorath is the smallest, poorest, and least populous of the Nine Free Cities. It is located far from the trade routes, which has made it the most isolated of the Free Cities.

### People

Lorathi men often dress richly and are commonly believed to be poets and merchants.

The followers of Boash did not eat flesh, nor drink wine. They went about barefoot, dressing in hair shirts and hides, and their priests were eunuchs who wore eyeless hoods. The cult of Boash believed in extreme self-abnegation, and because all humans were equal before their god, they considered women to be equal to men in all matters, nor did they practice slavery. This denial of the self extended to the point that adherents came to refer to themselves and others using indefinite pronouns; they did not use names, and referred to themselves as "a man" and "a woman", instead of saying "I", "me", or "mine". While the cult of Boash has long gone extinct, certain of these speaking habits are still used in Lorath today. Nobles regard it as vulgar to speak of one's self directly.

Lorath used to be ruled by three princes: the Harvest Prince, the Fisher Prince, and the Prince of the Streets. These princes, once chosen, served for life. All are chosen by vote: the Harvest Prince by those who own land upon the islands, the Fisher Prince by all who own ships, and the Prince of the Streets by the acclamation of the free men of the city. While the council of princes still exists today, their titles have become ceremonial. The actual rule of Lorath now resides with a council of magisters made up of nobles, priests, and merchants.

### Economy

Salt cod, walrus tusks, sealskins, and whale oil form the greater part of the city's trade. The city's powerful textile merchants specialise in rich velvet, which they trade for steel. The steel is traded along the Shivering Sea for furs, ivory, and obsidian, which are then traded for the materials to make velvet.