The Great Masters

The Great Masters are the hereditary oligarchs of Meereen, the ancient Ghiscari families who trace their lineage back to the Old Empire of Ghis. Their power is built upon the institution of slavery, which for centuries has been the foundation of Meereen's economy and social order. The Great Masters live in stepped pyramids that dominate the city's skyline, each family ruling its own pyramid and commanding vast wealth, slaves, and political influence. The principal families include the Zhak, Hazkar, Ghazeen, Merreq, Loraq, Pahl, and others, all of whom are deeply invested in maintaining the slave trade that Daenerys Targaryen has come to destroy.

Identity and Social Structure

The Great Masters are defined by their ancient bloodlines, their wealth, and their adherence to the customs of Old Ghis. They wear the tokar, a cumbersome garment that signifies their status as masters who do not perform manual labor. Their hair is often styled into elaborate horns and spikes, a traditional Ghiscari fashion. They live in the stepped pyramids, each family occupying its own pyramid, which serves as both a fortress and a symbol of their power. The Great Masters are not a unified political body but a collection of rival families who compete for influence and wealth, though they unite against any threat to their shared institution of slavery.

Conflict with Daenerys Targaryen

Daenerys's conquest of Meereen and her abolition of slavery directly challenge the Great Masters' way of life. They respond with a campaign of terror waged by the Sons of the Harpy, a clandestine organization that murders freedmen and Unsullied in the streets. The Great Masters provide funding, safe houses, and ideological support for this insurgency. Daenerys attempts to win them over through a policy of conciliation, including taking noble children as hostages and eventually agreeing to marry Hizdahr zo Loraq, a prominent Great Master, in a bid to secure peace. However, the Great Masters remain fundamentally opposed to her rule, and the peace is fragile at best.

The Peace and Its Aftermath

The marriage between Daenerys and Hizdahr zo Loraq is intended to reconcile the Great Masters to her rule. Hizdahr, a wealthy and influential nobleman, is seen by many as a bridge between the old order and the new. The peace agreement includes the reopening of the fighting pits, a concession that Daenerys makes reluctantly. However, the Great Masters continue to plot against her, and the Sons of the Harpy resume their attacks after Daenerys's disappearance on Drogon. The Great Masters' ultimate goal is the restoration of slavery and the expulsion of Daenerys and her followers from Meereen.

Narrative Significance

The Great Masters represent the entrenched power of the old order that Daenerys seeks to overthrow. Their resistance forces her to confront the limits of her power and the difficulty of imposing revolutionary change on a deeply conservative society. The conflict with the Great Masters is a central driver of the plot in Daenerys's storyline, shaping her decisions and ultimately leading to her departure from Meereen. The Great Masters also serve as a foil to Daenerys's idealism, highlighting the brutal realities of power and the compromises necessary to rule.