The triarchs

The triarchs are the three annually elected co-rulers of Volantis, the oldest of the Nine Free Cities, chosen from among the noble families of the Old Blood who can trace unbroken descent from Valyria. The office is a legacy of the Valyrian Freehold, designed to prevent any single ruler from seizing absolute power, and the triarchs are divided into two broad factions: the tigers, who favor military conquest, and the elephants, who advocate trade and commerce. Their rule is limited to one year, and they are forbidden to let their feet touch the ground during their term, riding everywhere on elephants. The triarchs' decisions shape the city's foreign policy, including its stance toward Daenerys Targaryen and the slave trade, and their internal power struggles reflect the deeper tensions between the Old Blood and the growing influence of the red temple.

Origin and Structure

The triarch system was inherited from the Valyrian Freehold after the Doom of Valyria. Volantis, as the first daughter of Valyria, considered itself the rightful heir to the Freehold's dominion, but the city was divided on how to achieve it. The Old Blood favored the sword, while merchants and moneylenders advocated trade, giving rise to the factions known as the tigers and elephants, respectively. The tigers held sway for almost a century after the Doom, launching successful campaigns that captured Lys and Myr, but their ambition overreached when they tried to swallow Tyrosh, leading to a war that freed Lys and Myr and left Volantis broken, bankrupt, and depopulated. The elephants then rose to power and have held sway for three hundred years, though some years the tigers elect a triarch, and never more than one at a time.

Election and Term

The triarchs are chosen from among the noble families who can prove unbroken descent from old Valyria, and they serve until the first day of the new year. All freeborn landholders share the rule, and even women are allowed to vote, provided they own land. The elections last for ten days, a period of madness marked by torchlight marches, speeches, mummers, minstrels, dancers, bravos fighting death duels for the honor of their candidates, and elephants with the names of would-be triarchs painted on their sides. The triarchs are considered so elevated that their feet are not allowed to touch the ground during their year of service, so they ride everywhere on elephants.

Factions and Power Dynamics

The tigers and elephants represent the two competing visions for Volantis. The tigers are the war party, descended from the Old Blood who favored the sword and sought to conquer the world. The elephants are the merchant party, who advocate trade and commerce. The elephants have held sway for three centuries, but the tigers still elect a triarch in some years, maintaining a presence in the city's governance. The triarchs' power is checked by their colleagues; whenever a madman has been elected, his colleagues restrain him until his year has run its course. This system has prevented Volantis from suffering a boy triarch, a fate that has befallen other cities.

Role in the War for Meereen

The triarchs' decisions are crucial to the conflict between Yunkai and Meereen. The Yunkish envoy came to Volantis with chests of gold and gems and two hundred slaves, and managed to buy Triarch Nyessos, an elephant, with lavish bribes. Triarch Malaquo, a tiger, is old and toothless but still a tiger, and Triarch Doniphos, another elephant, will not be returned as triarch. The city thirsts for war, and the triarchs have pledged a dozen warships to the cause of the Golden Company, to see the fleet safely as far as the Stepstones. The red priests, led by Benerro, preach that Volantis will surely burn if the triarchs take up arms against Daenerys Targaryen, and the slaves and freedmen crowd the temple plaza every night to hear him. The triarchs' decision to go to war or maintain peace will determine the fate of Slaver's Bay and the course of the war.

The Triarchs in the Narrative

In the narrative of A Dance with Dragons, the triarchs are mentioned primarily through the perspectives of Tyrion Lannister and Quentyn Martell. Tyrion learns from Haldon Halfmaester that the present triarchs are Malaquo (a tiger), Nyessos, and Doniphos (both elephants). The elephants show stripes, meaning Nyessos and Malaquo go hand in hand, a sign that the city is preparing for war. The red priest Benerro preaches against the triarchs, calling on the Volantenes to go to war on the side of right, as soldiers of the Lord of Light. The triarchs' decision to hire the Golden Company and send a fleet to Slaver's Bay sets the stage for the climactic battle, and their internal divisions mirror the larger conflict between the old order and the new.