Norvos is one of the nine Free Cities of western Essos, nestled amongst the Hills of Norvos upon the banks of the river Noyne before it reaches the Rhoyne to the south.
It is called Great Norvos by its residents.
Layout[]
The city of Norvos is split into two distinct regions, the smaller High City, placed upon the taller hills houses the noble houses of the city, as well as the Fortress-Temple of the Bearded Priests of Norvos, whereas the Low City is home to the commonfolk and most of the visitors to the city. The two are connected by the Sinner's Steps.
The High City[]
- The Stone Walls - unlike the Low City, the High City is surrounded by two layers of pale-grey stone walls, upon, populated by half a dozen guard-towers shorter than only the Bell Tower at the centre of the city. From these towers, archers capable of launching shafts hundreds of feet.
- The Fortress-Temple of the Bearded Priests - guarded by a holy guard of slave soldiers branded with the symbol of an axe upon their chests, the Fortress-Temple is a monolith of blue-grey rock, lifted from the hills around the city. Within, the Bearded Priests hold their conclave with the High Priest in the Hall of Voices.
- The Manses of the Nobility - positioned around the centrally placed Fortress-Temple of the Bearded Priests, but with a view to be as far from the Sinner's Steps as possible, the manses and palaces of the ancient families of Norvos can be found, including the families Ahrohr, Essoran, Golathis and Maegen. While most are built from the same pale-grey stone that abundant within the territory of the Free City, some families have sought to set themselves apart by using materials such as marble, basalt and granite in contrast to their neighbours.
- The Bell Tower - within the Bell Tower, the feature that brings many curious visitors to the Free City can be found. The three bells of Norvos, named Noom, Narrah and Nyel play in unison or individually to signal the start and end of the day, times for work and rest, preparing for war or making love.
- Noom has a deep, resonating tone.
- Narrah has a lingering strong sound.
- Nyel is the highest pitched of the three.
The Sinner's Steps[]
The Sinner's Steps is a great stair of wide steps carved directly through the side of one of the tallest peaks within the Hills of Norvos, and connects the High City with the Low City. The incline is somewhat variable, with an increasing gradient closer to the High City. On a normal day, it takes around half an hour to make the ascension from the bottom to the top, but at times of festival, when the stairs are covered in dancing bears and merchants, it can take hours.
The Low City[]
- The Wooden Walls - unlike the High City, the Low City is protected only by a wooden palisade surrounded by ditches and a wide but shallow moat. Historically, there was an organisation tasked with its maintenance, but in recent years the walls have started to become covered in moss and vines.
- The Dockfront - the city of Norvos is situated upon the Noyne, and utilises the fast-flowing waters for transportation and trade with Qohor and, further to the south, Volantis. The city has a small navy of river galleys, which when not in use remain moored within the Dockfront.
Timeline of Events[]
- 314AC - Spread from sailors bound out of Lys, small outbreaks of Crimson Fever affect the Free Cities. It is thought the strain that affected Norvos came following an outbreak in Pentos which then spread through the Velvet Hills.
- 311AC - At the turn of the year 311AC, all religions besides the Black Goat are banned in Qohor, by order of the High Priest. The Brave Companions help enforce the sweeps of the city, and all those that had not fled are put to death or exiled. The High Priest of Norvos declares the Black Goat of Qohor a demon, and thus the cities of Qohor and Norvos descend into a cold war of sorts.
- 323AC - The tensions between Qohor and Norvos seem to be drawing towards a conflict at Dagger Lake when both cities find themselves otherwise distracted. Unimpressed by the offers provided to him by the Magisters of Norvos, Khal Khoro sacks to the Low City, taking five thousand residents into slavery and driving them east. The Forest of Qohor is ravaged by a great fire which many claim is another attempt by followers of R'hllor to damage the city, and thus the cold war between Norvos and Qohor burns out without bloodshed as both cities turn to fix their own wounds.
- 364AC - As his men were butchered by the larger host at Ny Sar following the Battle of Sweetwater Source, Rhaemar Agnalor turned once again to flee, seizing a passing trade cog and butchering the passengers with his own Valyrian steel blade when they refused to assist him in his flight. It would prove to only further turmoil when it would be made known that one of the passengers was Grogeo Maegan, heir of the noble Maegan family of Norvos. Blaming both Braavos and Volantis for the death, Magister Lyglo Maegan called for war with both. In time, this would be something resolved by trades mediated through the High Priest of the Conclave, who managed to claim territory from both cities in the peace accords of late 365AC.
- 365AC - Norvos is the only one among the Free Cities to benefit from the events of the Ivory War, garnering it much distrust from the others. Spared from the worst of the deaths from the ‘cursed’ powdered ivory, it took few true casualties, beyond that of Grogeo Maegan, the first born son of Magister Lyglo Maegan, although even that is matter of debate. While undeniably not a naval power, the axemen of Norvos are said to be unparalleled in both their skill and devotion to the city of the Bearded Priests, and thus neither the Sealord or the Triarchs wished to engage the city in what would no doubt prove another costly war. Thus, they agreed to the peace terms demanded by Hrotar, the High Priest of the Conclave, and with it the territory of Norvos grew to include the source of the Upper Rhoyne and the northern third of Golden Fields.