All who dwell there wear masks or veils, and often walk alone or ride in palanquins of ebony and iron, hidden behind dark curtains and carried upon the backs of slaves. The Dothraki believe that Asshai'i are 'spawn of shadows' and hold them in contempt and fear. Asshai'i are described as having a dark and solemn appearance.

Melisandre is from Asshai - © 2012 John PicacioĪsshai and its few people have an ominous reputation in other lands. The only fish that dwell in its water are blind and deformed, and only fools and shadowbinders dare eat their flesh. Īll foodstuff and freshwater is brought in by ship, as animals brought into the city soon die, and the waters of the Ash glisten black beneath the noonday sun and glimmer with green phosphorescence by night. The famous scribe and traveler Lomas Longstrider never visited Asshai, though he apparently heard from merchants in Yi Ti who did trade with Asshai that the vast gold of Casterly Rock was famous even there. Īside from traders, few from Westeros visit Asshai and little is known about it.

Caravans from Asshai traverse the Bone Mountains to reach Vaes Dothrak. Trading ships from Westeros and the Free Cities bound for Asshai go east through the Summer Sea and the Jade Sea, which are connected by the straits at Qarth, the Jade Gates. The city is usually traveled to by ship, but it can also be reached overland by caravans.

Gold and gems are also common exports, though some say the gold of the Shadow Lands is as unhealthy as the fruits that grow there. It exports goods such as amber and dragonglass.

TradeĪsshai is a popular trading destination for ships, part of the traders' circle in the Jade Sea, however not nearly as important as Yi Ti. Structures include bazaars, halls, hovels, palaces, and temples. The buildings, streets, and walls of Asshai are made out of black stone that seems to drink the light making the city appear to be a dark and gloomy place. By night only one building in ten shows a light. The population of Asshai, however, is no more than that of a good-sized market town. Asshai sprawls for leagues across both sides of the Ash, and its great walls allegedly could contain Volantis, Qarth, King's Landing, and Oldtown combined.

Dreaming city dragon eggs