Myr

Myr
Information
Type	Mercantile city-state
Location	The Free Cities, Essos
Rulers	Magisters

"The other Free Cities are known for what they make: Myr has its lenses and finery..."

―Ser Jorah Mormont

Myr is one of the Free Cities located to the east of Westeros. A major seaport, the city overlooks a large body of water known as the Sea of Myrth, an inlet of the Narrow Sea. The Free City of Pentos lies to the north and the Disputed Lands lie to the south.

People and things from Myr are known as Myrish. The city's craftsmen are renowned throughout the known world for their lenses and finery, and Myrish lace is a highly sought after commodity.

History

Background

Like the other Free Cities, Myr originated as a colony of the Valyrian Freehold, and after the Doom of Valyria it became an independent city-state during the ensuing Century of Blood.

House of the Dragon: Season 1

Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh form an alliance known as the Triarchy. Corlys Velaryon informs the Small Council about this.

Game of Thrones: Season 3

While in Astapor, Jorah Mormont and Barristan Selmy debate whether or not Daenerys should purchase an army of Unsullied. Selmy is opposed to having slaves for soldiers, and opts instead for hiring sellswords in Pentos and Myr.

Varys tells Tyrion the story of his early life: as a youth he traveled with a troupe of actors through the various Free Cities. In Myr, his master sold Varys to a sorcerer who castrated him, burned his genitals as part of a spell and then kicked him out onto the street.

While wandering in the war-torn Riverlands of Westeros, Arya runs into Thoros, a Red Priest from Myr, now one of the leaders of the resistance group known as the Brotherhood Without Banners.

In the books

Myrish wares, including the famous lenses

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Myr is one of the most sophisticated of the Free Cities. Like its nearest neighbors, Lys and Tyrosh, the economy of the city is based on trade, and Myr has a reputation for great craftsmanship: The mirrors, lenses, and other glassware produced in the city have no equal - a clear pane of good Myrish glass is worth its weight in spices. Myrish textiles are much sought-after products and include intricate lace, finely woven carpets, and beautiful tapestries. The fine arts also thrive in Myr, and local artists produce vivid paintings and miniatures, renowned for their high quality. The city even produces two signature drinks - a sweet green wine known as green nectar as well as a drink known as fire wine. Like most of the Free Cities, Myr is heavily involved in the slave trade, with slaves outnumbering freeborn citizens three to one. 

The early history of Myr is something of an enigma. In its present form, the city was founded as a colony of the Valyrian Freehold, but there is evidence to suggest that human settlement in this location dates back to the Dawn Age. The Myrish are also noted for being dark-haired and dark-eyed with olive-colored skin, and are considered exotic-looking by Westerosi standards. This has led some to theorize that the Myrish may be related to the Rhoynar people- who possessed similar coloring- but this has not been conclusively proven. The city is ruled by a council of Magisters, chosen from among its wealthiest and most prominent citizens, and has its own language derived from High Valyrian. Myr also possesses a strong military, with its crossbowmen being particularly famed, and the craftsmen of the city produce long, slender daggers known as stilettos (the latter being the chosen sidearm of Tyroshi sellsword Daario Naharis).

After the Doom of Valyria, Myr became independent but was conquered a few years later by Volantis, which was trying to rebuild the fallen empire. When Volantis overreached and attacked Tyrosh as well, its forces were beaten back and defeated by a coalition that included the Westerosi Storm King, troops from Pentos and Braavos, as well as massive uprisings in Myr and Lys. Volantis's military power was broken and Myr again became an independent city-state.

These alliances, however, soon fell apart. As a result, Myr and Lys have been perpetually warring with each other for the better part of the past three hundred years. The "Disputed Lands" between Myr to the north and Lys to the south are so-called because they are constantly changing hands between the two cities according to the outcomes of their conflicts. Tyrosh and Volantis have been drawn into this feud from time to time, allying with either Myr or Lys as the alliances shift.

According to the Game of Thrones RPG, Myr is pronounced "Mire", and uses the adjective "Mire-ish". This pronunciation is used by a character voiced by George R.R. Martin. However, in Season 3 Thoros (of Myr) pronounces it as "Meer" (rhymes with "deer").

External links

• Myr on A Wiki of Ice and Fire