Dorne

Dorne is the large peninsula which makes up the southernmost part of Westeros, and is one of the constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms. After being conquered in the Fifth Dornish War, House Caron of Kingsgrave rules Dorne with the Martells having been reduced to Bannermen.

The Martells rule from their capital, Sunspear, outside of which sprawls the shadow city. Notable houses include Allyrion, Blackmont, Dayne, Fowler, Jordayne, Qorgyle, Santagar, Toland, Uller, Vaith, Wyl, Martell and Yronwood.

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.

People and Economy
Dorne is the least populous of the Seven Kingdoms. Dornishmen differ both culturally and ethnically from other Westerosi due to the historical mass immigration of Rhoynishpeople and their relative isolation. Dornishmen have adopted many Rhoynish customs on top of their First Men and Andal origins. Dornishmen have a reputation for hot-bloodedness and sexual licentiousness, and are still viewed with some mistrust and rivalry by the people of the neighboring Dornish Marches and the Reach. Dornish bastards of noble origin are given the surname Sand. Dornish paint their silks instead of sewing coats of arms.

Dorne contains septs for the Faith of the Seven and red temples for followers of R'hllor.

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

The Dornish produce their own wines, often called "Dornish reds". These wines are generally sour, though they occasionally can be 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 lightboned, 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.

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.

Recent History
When Aliandra Martell rose to power, she encouraged her bannermen to raid the Dornish Marches. This would result in an increasing paranoia by the Macher Lord due to the youth of the Lord Baratheon. Something that would eventually boil over during the fifth dornish war. A year into her reign, Alyn Velaryon would flee to Dorne with him meeting the new Princess of Dorne. The young Velaryon would quickly bed the new Princess of Dorne, who would fall pregnant. Against the advice of her counsellors, she didn't take any moontea and brought the child to term. The Princess seemed to care for the child, but couldn't legitimize it, for the repercussions could have been dangerous. Alyn Velaryon proclaims his plan to take the Stepstones, with the Princess pledging her support. The Stepstones would fall to the young Velaryon, who took the child with him. The two Kingdoms henceforth held a close relationship with another. Due to this, the Houses along the Greenblood grew in power while the more Martial ones in the Mountains began to weaken. This would cause a lingering resentment, as the Martells began to favour those Houses along the Greenblood.

In the year 183 AC, when the Stepstones went to war against the Seven Kingdoms, the more mercantile Houses pushed for Dorne to lend aid against the Seven Kingdoms. Eventually Aliandra's descendant consented and ordered men to raid launch Incursions into the Stormlands and Reach. However, the houses who felt neglected and ignored for a generation now didn't mobilise and barred their castle. With the collapse of the Stepstones, these Houses once more rose to power and prominence as they once had before. Sunspear and Yronwood over time would become their own hotbeds of political intrigue, with there often being talk of “The Court of the Sun and the Court of the Gate.” It became clear to all in Dorne that discontentment was growing between the Houses. Especially because of the momentary lack of any response to revenge incursions by the Stormlanders.

Though when Dorne went to war against the Seven Kingdoms in 208 AC, the Dornish held together during the attack of the Seven Kingdoms. But their enemies were merciless, killing and slaughtering many. House Manwoody was all but made extinct, the Reavers of the Iron Islands showed no remorse against the inhabitants. One tale that has become rather known is when a young Dayne, barley cusping manhood, took up the sword Dawn and led a brave charge against the Raiders who had come up the Torrentine. Brave but foolish, the maester later wrote. He and his brave band were slain, with Dawn being taken up by some reaver. It was eventually recovered by the Dalts of Lemonwood, who returned it to Starfall. Perhaps what is seen as one of the worst actions of the war was when Sunspear itself fell. There a young babe of House Martell was found, one which was torn from her mothers breast and thrown out of the tower of the sun. It is not talked of by the rest of Westeros but in Dorne, it is often whispered about. But the largest betrayal that occurred was after three lords of Yronwood all fell to the blade of the invaders. A distant cousin took over the House and bent the knee to the Invaders. Moral worsened and soon more Houses followed. Some held out until the end, but Dorne was beaten and broken.

House Caron of Kingsgrave was raised to Lord Paramount with Martell being reduced to mere bannermen, stripped of their Princely title. With Manwoody gone, Kingsgrave was granted to a knight of House Caron with great renown which he gained in the war. He was given the title of Warden of the Sands, to keep watch over the Dornish. Dorne is beaten and broken, the words of House Martell becoming more something of a mockery than anything else. A standing army remains in Dorne, one to keep watch over the Dornish and under the command of the Warden of the Sands. But resistance remains, incursions into the Stormlands. Lords who disappeared in the war, but wage a war from the sands...