Asshai

Just who is Azor Ahai? Azor Ahai is a hero in Legends.

He had a burning sword called Lightbringer, which is in stories that the people of Asshai and followers of R'hllor often tell.

This comes up several times in Game of Thrones, which I think was good that they did.

Though I imagine several of you who have never read the books would have been confused to some degree about this.

In other words, Azor Ahai is a savior or hero figure mainly from Asshai.

This does make sense, which I'll explain a bit.

Like many famous weapons, Azor Ahai's weapon has a name and it is called Lightbringer.

You might be thinking that, sure, this is a crazy weapon that needed a woman's death to be produced.

Like most places in our story that seem to have been touched by Lovecraftian beings, the origins are ambiguous.

This trend we see repeated in Asshai, the city so ancient its builders are lost to time, and repeated again with the sea stone chair of the Iron Islands.

There are several other examples throughout the known world, The fact that the soldiers that had been sent to the ruins returned with ruined minds is also a very Lovecraftian concept.

In Lovecraft's stories, when humans are presented with higher truth, knowledge of the outer world, and the beings that inhabit it, they oft as not went insane.

Though much of Casterly Rock is undoubtedly impressive, its most famous feature is undoubtedly its mines.

They are spoken of even in Asshai, if not further east.

They are considered the greatest source of gold in the world, which explains why the Lannisters have been so wealthy for so long.

The active mines provide that wealth, while the inactive ones, as well as the ones yet undiscovered, provide mystery.

And let's start with the prophecy bit.

Melisandre is clearly well-read, and although we don't know huge amounts about her history, we know a large part of it was in Asshai.

She is Melisandre of Asshai, after all, and Asshai is home to lots of obscure ancient text and knowledge.

So she clearly knows what to look for when it comes to Azor Ahai Reborn.

From what she's said, and confirmed by people like Maester Aemon...

For completion's sake, there are a couple more that seem more attached to the Targaryen heavy prince that was promised prophecy.

Someone from the line of Aerys II and his wife Rhaella, someone to whom belongs the Song of Ice and Fire.

These seem more recent, though, and Westerosi-based rather than ancient and from R'hllor, Doctrine, or Asshai-based, so let's leave them to one side for a moment.