Dothraki

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Dothraki (马人)
Alias(es)	Horse Lords; horsemen 220 292
Affiliation	Traditionally organized into independent khalasars across the Dothraki Sea; many Khals and the Dosh khaleen later swear fealty to Ian Dare 291 387
Occupation/Role	Nomadic mounted warriors, raiders, herders, and slave traders 291 300
Status	Active; being incorporated into Ian Dare's military structure after the Ghost Grass crisis 387
First Appearance	Available as a character-creation bloodline 2

Game Mechanics

Bloodline effect	Details
Attribute bonus	Grants Agility +2 and Riding Skill +1 2
Language	A player with Dothraki as their primary bloodline gains the spoken language of its region of origin 2
Build synergy	Combining Dothraki and Andal bloodlines can create a well-equipped mounted combatant with strong starting combat ability 2

Society and Customs

• A khalasar is a mobile tribal force led by a Khal. It includes Roaring Warriors, women, slaves, horse herds, and tents; larger khalasars are divided into smaller khas units 291.
• Roaring Warriors wear bells after victories and cut their braids after defeat. Khal Drogo's uncut braid is presented as proof that he has never lost a battle 121 129.
• Horses are central to Dothraki identity. The loss of the right to ride is treated as profound humiliation, while a Khal's horses are considered more exclusively his than even his wives 220.
• Dothraki traditionally ride stallions rather than mares or geldings; riding a gelding is associated with women and eunuchs, while controlling a wild stallion is treated as a mark of manhood 291.
• Their warhorses are kept separated by sex while marching, then reunited when the khalasar makes camp 291.
• The Dosh khaleen provides war prophecies to Khals. According to Volantene merchant Bericio, they have never declared a foreign war unwinnable 247.
• Blood Guards are bound to a Khal through the Dothraki Blood Oath. When their Khal dies, their duties are revenge and escorting the Khaleesi to Vaes Dothrak before taking their own lives 387.

Military Organization and Doctrine

Aspect	Documented details
Core force	Roaring Warriors form the primary fighting force of a khalasar. Khal Drogo commands just over 40,000 Roaring Warriors within a tribe of just over 100,000 people 300.
Command structure	A Khal leads the khalasar; a ko serves as a subordinate leader and second-in-command 247. Blood Guards are elite personal companions of the Khal 291.
Typical arms	Dothraki warriors commonly carry arakhs and bows. Khal Drogo's recorded equipment includes an arakh, composite bow, and Dothraki courser 201 291.
Mounted skill	Their greatest strengths are horsemanship, archery, courage, and the impact force of mass cavalry charges 221 292.
Armor doctrine	Traditional Roaring Warriors reject armor as “iron clothes” for cowards, a belief reinforced by generations of victories over armored enemies 221.
Material limits	The Dothraki have no craftsmen and rely largely on captured or tribute bows; their arrow supply is limited and arrowheads are easily damaged against armor 203 204.
Tactical weaknesses	Ian identifies their lack of discipline, limited tactical coordination, and rejection of armor as major flaws. Their charges can be devastating, but dismounted Dothraki are far weaker against organized infantry 221 292.
Logistical limits	A khalasar's size is constrained by pasture capacity and the inefficiency of relying on horse meat as a staple food 300.

History

Pentos and Khal Drogo's Khalasar

Khal Drogo leads a massive khalasar across Essos to Pentos to marry Daenerys Targaryen, whom Viserys intends to trade for an army. His force is rumored to contain roughly 100,000 people, including an estimated 40,000 Roaring Warriors 121 129.

Drogo's reputation rests on undefeated warfare. At the banquet, his waist-length braid and stern presence intimidate Daenerys, while Viserys emphasizes that a defeated Dothraki must cut his braid 129.

Astapor Reorganization

Ian acquires a system NPC identified as Dothraki Bloodrider Khal Drogo, whose mastery of the arakh, archery, and horsemanship earns an S-Class evaluation 201.

In Astapor, Ian uses this Drogo to help convince enslaved Dothraki that purified seawater can restore their right to ride horses. After four representatives drink the distilled water without harm, the Dothraki accept the “miracle” and Drogo pledges loyalty 220.

Ian then offers 300 breastplates, purified water, horses, and admission to Drogo's new khalasar to the first volunteers willing to wear armor. The former slaves rush to claim the equipment, becoming the first Imperial cavalry 221.

War in Slaver's Bay

Khal Drogo's hostile khalasar later marches south toward Ghiscar with roughly 100,000 people. Its migration is slow because it moves with women, slaves, tents, and large horse herds; dwindling supplies push the force toward the Lhazar region 291.

A separate khalasar led by player Marco Khal fields more than 10,000 cavalry and has adopted armor and horse armor after acquiring them in Qohor. Marco's armored force defeats smaller traditional khalasars before moving south to intervene against Ian 293.

At the Battle of Ghiscari, Marco's cavalry breaks parts of the Slave Iron Legion's formation but is ultimately repelled. Marco dies during a final charge, causing his remaining Dothraki to flee 296 297.

Drogo's khalasar is then drawn into a decisive battle at Kayser Pass. Ian's forces use caltrops, hidden infantry, crossbows, fire arrows, and trap formations to contain the Dothraki charges 301 302. Drogo is killed by Black Dragon Ion's dragonfire while attempting to break out, and his cavalry force is annihilated 302.

Recognition of Ian Dare

After the victories over Marco and Drogo, several southern minor Khals acknowledge Ian's claim over the Dothraki Sea, though their combined khalasars number fewer than 20,000 people 378.

When Ghost Grass spreads across the Dothraki Sea and threatens pastureland, the Dosh khaleen and northern Khals seek Ian's aid. They offer recognition of Ian as Great Khal and promise at least 100,000 cavalry if he preserves their homeland 378.

Ian destroys the soul-bearing Ghost Grass with dragonfire. In Vaes Dothrak, the Dosh khaleen and numerous Khals swear fealty to him; he appoints the two strongest Khals as Blood Guards and assigns them to incorporate the remaining Dothraki tribes 387.

Equipment

• Arakh — Curved weapon favored by Dothraki warriors and mastered by Khal Drogo 201 291.
• Composite bows — Commonly used for mounted archery, though the Dothraki depend on captured or tribute supplies 201 203.
• Dothraki coursers — Fast, agile warm-blooded horses; less enduring than Mongolian horses but central to Dothraki warfare and life 201 291.
• Painted vests — Traditional Roaring Warrior attire, leaving muscular arms exposed rather than protected by armor 291.
• Imperial cavalry armor — Breastplates and other armor adopted by Dothraki under Ian's command despite traditional resistance 221 261.

Relationships

• Khal Drogo — One of the most powerful Khals of the Dothraki Sea; his hostile khalasar is defeated at Kayser Pass 291 302.
• Dosh khaleen — Religious and leadership body that provides Khals with prophecies and later recognizes Ian Dare's authority 247 387.
• Ian Dare — Defeats major khalasars, reforms enslaved Dothraki into armored Imperial cavalry, solves the Ghost Grass crisis, and receives widespread Dothraki fealty 221 302 387.
• Lhazareen — Frequent victims of Dothraki raids and a key source of sheep and supplies for migrating khalasars 291 302.
• Ghiscari Alliance — Defeats Marco Khal at Ghiscari and Khal Drogo at Kayser Pass through disciplined infantry, ranged weapons, and battlefield traps 297 301 302.