Sunspear

Sunspear is the ancestral seat of House Martell, the ruling house of Dorne, and the principal city of that southernmost region of Westeros. An old and sprawling stronghold of sun-baked towers, it sits on the eastern coast of Dorne above the Narrow Sea.

The City

Sunspear is an ancient castle grown into a crowded city, a maze of winding alleys, mud-brick dwellings, and bazaars that grew up around the Martell stronghold over the centuries. Its most distinctive landmarks are the Spear Tower and the Tower of the Sun, the latter crowned with a dome of gold-and-leaded glass. The shadow city presses against its walls, a labyrinth of homes and markets outside the gates.

House Martell

Sunspear is the seat from which Prince Doran Martell rules Dorne, though the prince, crippled by gout, often resides at the cooler and more pleasant Water Gardens nearby. The Martells, descended from the union of the Rhoynar and the Andals, rule Dorne with their own laws and customs, including equal inheritance regardless of sex and a long tradition of independence.

Dornish Character

Sunspear reflects the distinct character of Dorne: a hot, dry land of deserts and mountains whose people are proud, hot-blooded, and slow to forgive a wrong. The court at Sunspear seethes with the long-nursed grievance over the murder of Elia Martell, and it is here that Doran Martell weaves the patient schemes that will, in time, repay that debt in blood.