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I've recently been reading The World of Ice and Fire and it got me thinking - are there any current theories on the Valyrians still being alive and somewhat active in Old Valyria?

The Doom of Valryia is something I would categorise as an "off-screen death", we hear about it but as far as I'm aware, it's quite hard for any in-world characters to have a definitive answer on whether it actually happened or not because everyone who tries to explore it goes missing or dies a horrific death.

All we know is that everyone who lived there was dead and nobody can ever go back.

My memory is a bit fuzzy but doesn't the tale go that anyone who as much as SEES the smoking sea will never return? So how would anyone know if there were still people there or not? What if they kill or dissapear anyone who turns up as a way of keeping themselves secluded for some reason related to the Doom that we're not aware of.

I was also watching a video about the Isle of Skagos recently and how everyone thinks that they're cannibals - except that maybe they're not cannibals at all and keep the rumour alive so nobody bothers them. There are a lot of parralels in GRRMs work - maybe this could be one?

A few characters spring to mind who have visited:

Aerea - supposedly flew to Valyria on Balerion and came back full of fire wyrms - pretty much the only character I can think of that has returned, but was too messed up to recount her journey. Didn't seem to be too much time between her coming home and being cooked from the inside out to ask "how was the trip?"

One thing to note with this is that Balerion comes back with a massive wound - so something definitely lives there - but what? Ancient dragonriders who know how to keep a low profile?

Euron? - Big question mark. Apparently he sailed the smoking sea and came back with that old dragon horn. He could have found that literally anywhere though, perhaps Asshai? Then claimed that he got it from Valyria for street cred purposes.

One of the old Lannisters (Tywins uncle? I can't remember) - travels to Valyria looking for Brightroar or Brightflame with like 10,000 men and never comes back.

As far as I remember nobody has ever come back from Old Valyria with so much as a word of what it's like now. Not even an "I saw the ruins from rly far away". Does Coryls Velaryon do this on his big gap year maybe? Can't remember, anyway -

I'm not too up to date on what was happening around that time, I guess I'll find out some more as I read (I'm not bothered about spoilers for this one so spoil away) but were there any credible reasons from the time for the Valyrians essentially faking their own deaths?

Maybe all their dragons died for some reason and they quickly realised they were about to get dunked on by the entire planet so they came up with a plan.

I started writing this post because I saw the map pictured above and the location "The land of always summer" stuck out to me, because won't Westeros become the land of always winter if the Others take over? Would seem fitting for a song of ice and fire to have two seperate Dooms. With the parralel there it made me wonder if this isn't the last we see or at least find out about Valyria in the final two books.

I'm sure the text has been scoured by someone smarter than me so - are there any clues, has anyone ever made it back and told tale of it? Would a Greenseer like Bran be able to pop over and have a look around at the ruins or otherwise? Would the maesters be able to have a look through a glass candle or some similar method?

And more interestingly - if the Valyrians are still alive on Essos, can we expect them to make a reapperance, and why?

This is my first theory and it's not even a theory it's just asking other people if this has any legs AS a theory so please don't call me an idiot if I've missed something obvious. Cheers.

Are there any Valyrians still alive in Old Valryia? [Spoilers published]