Welcome to Dorne
Game of Thrones has given us a pretty good idea of the geography of Westeros, spreading the action across most of the Seven Kingdoms in the continent, or at least making dignitaries from far off lands integral to the story. The big exception: Dorne, the sunny, sandy, and southern-most kingdom of Westeros. Frequent mention of Dornish wine (their main export) was the Dorniest thing about the show up until last season, when Prince Oberyn Martell, younger brother to the ruling Doran Martell, made a memorable entrance to King’s Landing…and even more memorable exit. For the most part, though, Dorne has largely been a non-factor in the show.
That’s entirely by choice, as Dorne’s reputation for shrewd, isolationist politicking goes back centuries. When the first Targaryens used dragons to unite Westeros (the proposition: unify or fry), Dorne resisted, employing hit ‘n run tactics and their infamous spears (the namesake of the capital, Sunspear). It would take decades of bloody rebellion and political concessions by the Targaryens before Dorne would submit to outside ruler, with House Martell maintaining their titles of Prince and Princess as a reminder of their former independence. Once sufficiently embedded into the Targaryen dynasty, they supported the old regime when Robert Baratheon rebelled, but a proposed marriage of Joffrey’s sister Myrcella to a Dornish prince helped sway Dorne to the Lannister’s side during the War of the Five Kings.
Having failed to avenge his sister Elia (killed by The Mountain on Tywin Lannister’s orders), Oberyn’s death has put the Martells and Lannisters at odds once more. That’s bad news for Myrcella, a guest/hostage in Sunspear, as the fruit of Oberyn’s loins proves the revenged-filled apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Enter the Sand Snakes, the bastard daughters of Oberyn that inherited their father’s eyes, and love of score settling. The many Sand Snakes of the books have been combined and reworked into three main players: Obara, Nymeria, and Tyene, the last of whom is also the daughter of Ellaria, Oberyn’s Season 4 paramour. Remember her face when she saw Oberyn die? Yeah, that’s what these ladies are looking to inspire in the face of every remaining Lannister, which goes against the more diplomatic wishes of enfeebled Doran.
