INTRODUCTION

This will be a general description of my headcanon for the Valyrian Freehold as a civilization, including ( but not limited to ) culture, politics, military, and so forth. It is important to remember that the details and descriptions given here apply only to interactions in this blog for RP purposes and references, they are not official nor canon unless stated otherwise. Also important to remark that some of the descriptions may not fit the laws of reality because this is fantasy and GRRM himself has stated so when people try to give logical, realistic and scientific explanations to how the ASOIAF world works.

To begin, I want to remark that I take inspiration for my headcanons of the Valyrian Freehold mainly from the histories of Ancient Rome and the mythical Atlantis, both of which have Egyptian influences (greco-Roman, Ptolemaic Egypt, for example), and merge them with what is canonly known of the valyrian civilization in the ASOIAF world.

From Atlantis, the similarities lie in a couple of details. The most obvious one is probably how Atlantis was said to be an advanced and powerful civilization that disappeared and/or was destroyed in a single day and night by a cataclysmic natural event ( like Valyria ), believing it a punishment by the gods for their greed ( also like some believe of Valyria ). Atlantis was also said to be 'composed' mainly by ten 'territories or it was divided in ten territories in the island-continent, one major or leading territory by the name of Atlas ( which would be Valyria ) and other nine self ruling territories ( the Free Cities, instead of current Braavos though, it would be Essaria ). Atlantis was said to be a mountainous area in its majority but with rich soil that was enough to sustain atlanteans ( as how the Lands of the Long Summer were in the valyrian peninsula ), as well as provide precious minerals and metals. Atlantis can also be considered similar to another ASOIAF lost civilization called The Great Empire of the Dawn, from which the Valyrians could've descended. 

Another very important similarity is how Atlantis was said to have a unique metal known as Orichalcum, just as valyrians have their valyrian steel. Last but not least, in my research of Atlantis, there was an excerpt on how by the end of this mythical civilization, factions struggled for dominance and when one of these overpowered the others, they misused magic in ways that ushered the cataclysmic events that destroyed Atlantis; which is very, very similar to another of the main beliefs of how the Doom of Valyria came to be ( and similarly, the Great Empire of the Dawn ).

From Ancient Rome ( specifically the Roman Republic era of ancient Rome ), the similarities lie in the military power, politics, language and religious matters. First, the roman republic was neither an empire nor state as the Valyrian Freehold was neither a kingdom nor an empire. It was during the republican era of Rome that most of its conquests and wars expanding its power took place, including the Punic Wars from which is believed the wars between the Valyrian Freehold and Old Ghis are inspired from. Governance was in the hands of elected consuls, similar to how Valyria elected archons ( which is a greek word ) to rule over valyrian colonies and cities. The senate had a say in governance matters ( if mainly in a manner of advice ), as freeholders had a say in governance as well back in Valyria ( even though noble dragonlord families in practice held the most power ).

In ancient Rome, the language spoken and written was Latin and the spoken Vulgar Latin then developed into the current romance languages ( as the Valyrian Freehold had High Valyrian which was later 'bastardized' through out the cities and colonies ). It is still used as a scholarly language around the world, including the catholic clergy as a liturgical language ( as maesters in the ASOIAF world and as how some highborn are taught High Valyrian to some extent ). On religious terms in the roman republic, though romans had their own deities and religion ( polytheists as well ), they did not impose them on those peoples they conquered but rather absorbed other religions, supporting and promoting the religious diversity in order to maintain social stability. This is very similar to how valyrians supported and tolerated the different religious beliefs so that the peoples could not stand unified behind one single and powerful religion, which was a way of keeping social stability ( or control it, in what is belief the valyrians actually did by promoting religious tolerance ). This is something they might've learned from their predecessors in the Great Empire of the Dawn. 

I wanted to expose these similarities I've found with what is canonly known or believed of the Valyrian Freehold before hand, so that maybe it helps explaining my reasoning behind the headcanons that are to follow now a bit better.