The Harpy's Strife
The Blackreynes were not the only ones who were plagued by war. In Essos House Whitehall continued to prosper. Their vast and fertile land made the house and it's nobility obscenely wealthy. They had used thei wizards to turn the shrinking Sea and the Dry Deep into freshwater bodies. Their Neighbors Hyrkoon and Yi Ti enjoyed a productive merchantine relationship with Alvion. So it was decided that in order to expand their power, they would band together to form the Tripartite Pact. This Pact promised that they would never go to war against one another and help each other should one come under threat.
This alliance proved to be beneficial when the growing power of Ghis emerged. With lockstep legions that were near equal to those of House Blackreyne, they trampled over many of the rival kingdoms. Soon the Ghiscari had conquered a sizable portion of the Eastern continent. Their empire stretched to the Bone Mountains and almost to the Rhoyne River.
The Rhoynar was the only kingdom powerful enough to defy the Ghiscari. Man for man the disciplined Ghiscari were far superior to the river folk. But the Rhoynar were more advanced and they had the magic of water wizards. At their peak, Ghis and the Rhoynar were equal in terms of power.
After warring for hundreds of years, the Ghiscari finally formed a truce with the river people. After the Rhoynar/Ghiscari war, the Ghiscari looked to expand their border Eastwards and south. The Ghiscari navy conquered every island in the Summer Sea from the basilisk isles to Gread Moraq and the Cinnamon Straits. Now Ghis turned it's greedy eyes towards Hyrkoon, Yi Ti and Alvion. Since the Ghiscari began their conquest, people had fled to either the Rhoynar or Alvion depending on who was closer.
However The Tripartite proved to not be easy prey. The Bone Mountains proved to be a formidable defense and lockstep legions don't fare well in such unfavorable terrain. Again and Again the Ghiscari army smashed itself against the fortress cities of Hyrkoon these defenses guarded the three roads into the Lands of the Tripartite.
With great effort, the Ghiscari finally manage to break through Shamyriana, capturing the city and securing the Stone Road. Using Shamyriana as a forward base, The Ghiscari began cutting a bloody path through Alvion taking the Whitehalls commoners into slavery. They also raided Hyrkoon raiding it's villaiges yet left the other fortress cities alone. The Whitehalls responded by using the stone road to launch invasions into the northern Ghiscari empire. For the most part the Whitehalls targeted Ghiscari slave caravans. But they never passed an opportunity to sack a city. In the south Yi Ti was defending it's coast from the Ghiscari navy.
It didn't come as a surprise that the armies of Ghis would clash with those of Alvion. Ghiscari's military was solely focused around footsoldiers while Alvion favored cavalry above all else. Four times out of ten the Ghiscari legions would hold. But Alvion knights were able to break through more often. The simple reason was that due to their past conflict with House Blackreyne. The Lockstep legions was something they were familiar with. But unlike the Blackreynes, the Ghiscari legions severly lacked versatility. Ghiscari were near invincible in a phalanx, but if the phalanx was to shatter they lost much of their strength. Alvion cavalry hit them from every angle probing for a weakness. The Ghiscari phalanx was strong in the front, weaker in the middle and helpless from the rear.
And so it went for hundred of years until Rayden Whitehall recaptured Shamyriana. With their forward base destroyed Ghis didn't dare try to retake it remembering how hard it had been just to capture it. In the peace, the Whitehalls demanded the return of all it's captured in exchange for Ghiscari slave lord in their custody.
The war with Ghis was over but it came at great cost to both sides. Ghis had lost half it's legions while Hyrkoon had been crippled by Ghis. In order to rebuild their kingdom Hyrkoon surrendered it's lands east of the bone mountains including the Great Sand Sea to Alvion. Avlion paid Hyrkoon handsomely for it. Using their sorcerers they filled the giant canyon with freshwater that would be fed by the no longer desolate Bone Mountains. House Whitehall now had the largest supply of freshwater in Essos. While Hyrkoon was allowed to freely take water from the massive lake, House Whitehall still owned it.
Rise of the Dragons
After Ghis' failure to conquer all of Essos, the Tripartite enjoyed another era of peace. Trade began between the Tripartite and Ghis. Yi Ti reached the apex of it's power seizing the islands in the Jade Sea and the cinnamon straits. They even exacted tribute from Ghis, Qarth and Asshai. But in this world peace never lasts. A few centuries later rumors of men from Valyria riding dragons reached the ears of both the Whitehalls and the Blackreynes. When their scouts confirmed that the rumors were true. The Whitehalls and the Blackreynes began preparing for their arrival.
Both houses had been breeding Thestrals and Pegasus in secret for thousands of years. Both had a small number in captivity but the vast majority populated Sothoros. The Blackreynes bred Thestrals in their fortress on Bloodstone. Once a Thestral egg was hatched the Blackreynes would take care of them for a year before releasing it in Sothoros. By one year a Thestral colt is able to care for itself and the vast continent would allow it to grow to full size. The Whitehalls did the same for their Pegasus. Thestrals and Pegasus never fought their own kind but they had no problems fighting each other. Luckily the presence of Wyverns prevented thestral/pegasus fights from happening too often.
When it was learned that dragon eggs were being discovered by the hundreds. The two houses returned to Sothoryos in order to retrieve their companions. Having ones in captivity proved to be beneficial as the creatures would recognize the scent of their kind on the respective families. Though they didn't bring any back to their kingdom, they wanted to be sure they were prepared should the Valyrians decide to expand their territories.
Over the next 300 years Ghis waged war with Valyria five times and five times they lost. When a battle didn't involve dragons, the ghiscari always won and were even able to enslave a number of valyrians. However when the Valyrians used their dragons, Ghis stood no chance, their infamous legions burned before the might of the beasts. The Valyrians finally went on the offensive in the fifth war and burned the mighty Ghiscari Empire to ash. Once they razed Old Ghis, the Valyrians took the broken empire for it's own. After the Ghiscari, the valyrians turned their attention to their other neighbors. The Qaathi, the Sarnori the Lhazareen and the Ifequevron all submitted to the rule of the Dragon.
Finally the Dragon turned it attention to The Rhoynar. In the beginning Valyria and the the Rhoynar enjoyed a prosperous relationship. The Valyrian city of Volantis dominated the mouth of the Rhoyne. But like all great empires, enough is never enough and soon they began to slowly seize more and more control over the great river. That did not sit well with the river-folk. The last straw came when valyrian settlers slayed one of the Rhoynar's sacred giant turtles.
For 250 years, the Rhoynish fought no less than nine wars againt Valyria. Unlike the Ghiscari, the Rhoynar manage to emerge victorious in the three Turtle Wars and the War of the Three Princes. Their Water wizards were instrumental in killing dragons and dozens fell over the course of the wars. But even the power of the water wizards were no match for the Dragons of Valyria.
In the final conflict known as the Second Spice War, Prince Garin united the Rhoynar under a single banner and raised an army 250,000 strong. With hundreds of water wizards. Garin marched down the Rhoyne destroying every valyrian settlement along the way. At Volon Therys, Garin's army faced 100,000 soldiers and 3 dragonlords. The Valyrian host was wiped out and two of the dragons were killed. With the fall of Volon Therys, nothing stood in the wwayof Prince Garin and the last remaining Valyrian settlement in the Rhoyne, Volantis.
Volantis called upon Valyria itself with a plead for aid. Instead of ending an army to meet Garin. The dragonlords came with a force of 300 dragons. Garin's host was wiped out and he himself was captured. Garin got revenge of sorts when he prayed to Mother Rhoyne to destroy their enemy. Mother Rhoyne answered his prayer and destroyed the valrians that occupied Garin's home city of Chroyane. The Rhoynar wars had come to an end.
Nymeria's War
After Prince Garin's defeat, The warrrior Princess Nymeria, took all the people she could and loaded them on to 10,000 ships. Most of these vessels had been provided by the Blackreynes who were sympathetic to their plight. King Roger (the Rebel)Blackreyne came to Nymeria encouraging her to come settle in Westeros. He reasoned that she really didn't have anywhere else to go. which Nymeria admitted. Theodred offered the Rhoynish a chance to settle in Troyad. The Trident and Blackwater rivers and made Troyad ideal for the Rhoynish way of life. The fact that the Rhoynar would be able to practice their religion freely also helped manners. Half of the Rhoynish followed Priestess Druselka and accepted their offer. Nymeria and the other half declined wanting to rule themselves. They chose the one kingdom not under complete dominance by a single house, Dorne.
Dorne had not changed much. Their were numerous kings including the Drylands, Blackmonts, and Manwoodys. But these rulers were petty compared to the Daynes and Fowlers. But even the power of the Daynes and Fowlers combined paled in comparison to the mighty Yronwoods. At the peak of their power the Yronwood ruled more than half of Dorne. Their kingdom stretched from the Wyle River to the Brimstone River and expanded east all the way to the broken arm. Among their vassals were the Martells of the Sandship.
When the Rhoynish landed in Dorne, the welcome was less than hospitable. Remembering the grief caused by the last immigrants that came to Westeros (the andals). It was understandable why the Yronwoods didn't trust the Rhoynish. But where the Yronwoods found a problem, Mors Martell saw a solution. He and a number of other houses met with Nymeria and agreed to help her people if she would fee them from the grip of the bloodroyals. Nymeria agreed and wedded Mors Martell.
The Martells didn't have much in terms of an army and Nymeria's own army consisted solely of warrior women. But when combined along with their allies, the result was oddly impressive. Nymeria also brought the last water wizard and Rhoynar craftsmenship which was far superior that of the Andals. Together The Martells and Rhoynar launched a rebellion against the Kings of Dorne. One by one the kings fell Lucifer Dryland, Albin Manwoody, Benedict Blackmont, Garrison Fowler and Vorian Dayne. With each victory House martells power grew. Finally they turned to their only obstacle from complete rule over Dorne. The last King, the most powerful of them all. Yorick V Yronwood, the Bloodroyal, Warden of the Stoneway, King of Redmarch and the Greenbelt, High King of the Dornish.
Defeating the Yronwoods would be Nymeria's ultimate test and by far the most difficult. Though the Martells had defeated many kings and gathered many of the dornish lords to them the Yronwoods had a significant amount of followers. Along with the Rhoynish, the Martells gained the support of the Houses Dayne, Fowler, Toland, Uller, Wells, Gargalen, Ladybright, and Vaith. The Yronwoods were backed by the Drylands, Manwoodys, Blackmonts, Wyles, Qorgyles, Jordaynes, Drinkwaters, Dalts, Santangars, and Allyrions.
In a way Nymeria owed her rise to House Teague. At the time she waged her war, Roger Blackreyne was trying to help his kingdom recover from the destruction caused by the Teague Uprising. The fleet he had used to aid Nymeria and her people consisted of vessels siezed from the other kingdoms, others lend to them by the North and Stormlands and ships captured in the narrow sea. Thus the Blackreynes were in no condition lend any military aid. If not for the Teagues, Nymeria and the Martells would have been crushed under the boots of Blackreyne and Yronwood.
Fortunately this was not the case and the Yronwoods were on their own. Though they could send no army Roger Blackreyned did send an advisor to aid Yorick, his younger brother Theodred. For ten long years, Mors Martell and Yorick Yronwood battled for supremacy over Dorne. In the Third Battle of the Boneway, Yorick slew Mors in single combat. Despite the death of her husband, Nymeria would continue the war for another twenty years. She would wed twice more, her second spouse Lord Uller died shortly due to his advanced age. Her third husband Davos Dayne faced Theodred in single combat and the two men fought to a draw. To put it more accurately they killed each other Davos Dayne perished first and Theodred succumbed to his grievous wounds 12 hours later
Yorick Yronwood eventually surrendered shortly after the death of Theodred. He and the other defeated kings were put in golden fetters and sent to the wall. But these kings would never make it to the wall. As an act of spite to Nymeria for the death of his brother, freed the shackled kings and allowed them to lived quietly in Troyad for the rest of their days. Nymeria was furious and sent a raven to Roger demanding that he allow her sentencing to be carried out. Roger didn't bother to send a reply. This act would earn the Blackreynes, the hatred of the Martells. Nymeria was already weary of war and decided not to press the matter. Instead she focused on her newy formed kingdom, Dorne.
Reign of Fire
With the end of the Rhoynar Wars, Valyria now was free to extend their empire to the Narrow Sea. New settlements were built which would be known as the free cities. Blackreyne and Whitehall watched with growing concern. Without the Rhoynar there was nothing standing between the Valyria and their kingdoms. The question was who would be struck first. The Blackreynes predicted that the Valyrians would look to expand their land territories before coming to Westeros. They back this theory by pointing out the wealth and power Alvion and Yi Ti would provide. Such fears were increased when the valyrians colonized the island of Dragonstone. a small island off the eastern coast of Westeros and uncomfortably close to the Blackreyne Lands. Blackreyne and Whitehall then decided to form a pact. That should Valyria attack either of them, Both houses would join in a war against them. As much as they disliked each other, they both agreed on one thing. Neighter of them wanted to be slaves to dragonriders.
However to the surprise of everyone, such a thing never occurred. After taking the Rhoyne the Valyrians seemed content with their empire. Built a massive fleet and began the colonization of Sothoros. They captured the Basilisk Isles and built new settlements along the northern coast of the continent. After this the Valyrians seemed content with their conquests. With their territories stretching from the narrow sea to the bone mountains and across the summer sea, the Dragonslords now focused on a different endeavor. Building the greatest civilization the world shall ever see. With topless towers and architecture of unparalleled beauty, The cities of the Valyrians were wonders to behold. Their skill in crafting stone surpassed that of even the Blackreynes. Most people mistakingly called it the Valyrian freehold an empire. But Houses Blackreyne and Whitehall called it what it was. The Valyrian Confederacy.
The Valyrians established trade with it's neighbors but that was the extent of the relationship. The two families knew that if they wanted to stop further valyrian expansion, they needed something to keep the Dragonlords occupied. They studied the Valyrians and noticed that they had no central leadership. Instead it was divided between the numerous dragonlords that governed their own territories. The answer became clear, the best opponent to keep the Valyrians occupied was each other. Over the centuries the Blackreynes and Whitehalls worked hard to keep the Dragonlords in a constant state of feuding. Causing strife, bickering, hatred through any means.
When the slave built Ghiscari Empire fell the Blackreynes and Whitehalls cheered. But the Valyrians proved to be no better then their predecessor when they took up the mantle of slaving. The two families watched as the Valyrians enslaved their conquered peoples. They didn't differentiate, Ghiscari, Rhoynar, it didn't matter to Valyria. 500 years after the Rhoynish Wars, Valyria prepared to send a huge number of these slaves to Sothoros, where they would be forced to build new settlements on the continent.
Unfortunately for the Valyrians, House Blackreyne had something to say about that. Prince Braveon Blackreyne formed a plan to prevent the slave ships from reaching the Fatherland. One would have assumed that he would take the slaves into Troyad but he had no intention on doing that. The last thing he wanted was to draw the attention of the Dragonlords. Braveon looked at a map of Essos and found a small piece of territory had yet to be settled by Valyria. It was a vast lagoon with a hundred islands within. Braveon noticed that a dense fog hid the lagoon from the prying eyes of dragon rider's overhead. Realising he had found the perfect place to settle the slaves, Braveon set to work integrating his soldiers into the Valyrian slaves. He led a number of his trusted commanders and few thousand of his Stranger's Sons and warriors.
The slave fleet consisted of a thousand ships carrying a quarter of a million slaves. They whispered talk of revolt into the ears of the slaves. some were frightened but many listened. Once the slave fleet was out of sight of Essos. Braveon gave the signal and the uprising began. The slaves overran their Valyrian taskmasters and seized control of the ships. Once the armada had been secure Braveon sailed west towards the stepstones and up the narrow sea at the Stepstones the ships were given Blackreyne flags to fly in order to avoid suspicion. The Valyrians didn't think anything of it, the Blackreynes owned thousands of ships, and sea trade was heavy between Westeros and different parts of the world.
Two months after the revolt, the armada reached the lagoon. Under Braveon's leadership they began building communities on the islands, the 1,000 ships were stripped down to make pontoon bridges to connect the islands. and build homes. The slaves were now finally free and as a first rule, they declared that no an woman or child shall ever be a slave in the new city. They named their city Braavos after the leader who had freed them.
Braveon made his home in an abandoned Iron Mine located on an isolated mountain. He fortified the mine with a thick sloping wall flanked by two D shaped towers. Layers upon layers of battlements were built into the face of the mountain. Within the mountain Braveon had his miners drain it of whatever Iron it had left. Afterwards his masons carved the inner walls into a halls and extended the caverns deeper. Braveon's mountain fortress was named Hearthgard. People praised his calling him Lord of the Sea. When it came time to choose a leader, everyone chose Braveon. and thus he was named. Braveon Blackreyne the first Sealord of Braavos.
Over the centuries the Blackreynes would help in the development of Braavos, sending masons to, gold and ships. Proper building of stone replaced the wooden predecessors. Ships would go out to sea, and return with all manner of sea food to feed the populance of the city. they even found an nearby Iron Mine. Members of House Blackreyne would personally oversee eveything. Some even chose to remain in the city. Among these were Braveon's grandchildren, Lucifer, Licinia and Marion. These three were able to manipulate the numerous businesses until an elite few rose in power. About a century after the founding of Braavos the three siblings gathered 20 of the richest and most powerful Braavosi, 14 men and 6 women to Hearthgard. There they began putting a plan into motion. A plan that would create the most powerful bank in the world. The 23 individuals formed a council and pooled their resources together deciding to use Hearthgard as a vault store it. They supplied their own guards to protect it. The Iron Bank was born.
After settling in, the Council them turned their attention to improving the city, they loaned money to businessmen and nobles alike. Lucifer, the leader of the Council, set the foundations for the way the Iron Bank handled their finances. If the Iron Bank loaned a client money, the client must honor his debt. If a client could not or refused to pay the debt. Lucifer looked for that person's business rival and hand over the client's assets to him. but that rival had to honor the debt of the client. After the arrangements had been made, the client 'disappears,' never to be seen again. This business strategy would be known as Lucifer's Law.
The Fall of the Dragon
Nobody seemed to know how the cataclysmic event known as the Doom of Valyria happened, Some say it was the wrath of the Gods, other that it was Prince Garin's prayer fully realized. Some measters say that it was the Valyrian's own magic brought it about. It was this therory that both Arnorians and Eridonians agree with. But it still differed greatly from the Maester's texts.
Before man was born when all the land was one supercontinent, Dragons ruled the world. Their origins vary through the different cultures. According to the old Sothorians, Dragons were a product of Wyverns and Firewyrms breeding. Though these three creatures wielded terrible power, even they bowed before a far greater power. That power was the very first of their kind, the Father and Mother of them all. Their names were Vildegrad and Formeathia
Vildegrad, the Father resembled a cross between a scorpion and a dragon. His head had a large horn on its nose the two in the back of its skull facing the rear. He walked on four legs with the front feet being wide and having four claws and the hind feet were long with only three claws. Sharp spines ran along his neck and back, the neck had three rows of spines and the back had seven. Instead of wings, it had two appendages sprouted from its midsection. These appendages arched forward like a pair of scythes ending in blade like points. His tail was just as unusual, it was thick and arched over the beast's body. The tail ended in pincer claws with a stinger sproutng between them. From it's maw, blue flames hotter than dragonfire or lava poured out. Though he could not fly he was capable of swimming on the surface of the water.
Formeathia, the Mother was very different. Though she too resembled a dragon, it was blue in color and more aquatic like. It's body was that of a serpent with a shark-like dorsal and ventral fins running along the length of its body. Unlike her mate, her hide was smooth and slimy and not nearly as strong. A large dorsal was in the center of her body which ended in a whale-like tail fin. Like Vildegrad, she had four limbs, but these limbs were thin and short and it's feet were webbed each ending in three short claws. Wings sprouted from the center of her body, and instead of fire she spat icy breath.
In this world there were also a number of other creatures. The Children, Giants, Great Eagles, Great Bats, Griffins, Hippogryphs, Perytons, and Taurusores (Bulls with dragon wings). The children rallied the creatures of the earth and rose up against the dragons. Thought many wyverns dragons and Firewyrms perished in the Dragon wars, until Vildegrad and Formithean could be stopped the war would go on forever. The children all gathered together and called upon their gods. The earth split open and Vildegrad swallowed up, he fell to the deepest part of the earth where trapping him. Formithean refused to desert her mate and dived in after him. Thus the Father and Mother of all dragons were imprisoned in the earth for all eternity. In the area they were trapped in, fourteen volcanoes formed as Vildegrad struggled to break free of his prison. Belching fire and ash in his rage.
The dragon wars cost the lives of many of earths creatures. All but the Eagles, Giants and the Children became extinct. The Dragons fleed as far east as east went leaving many of their eggs behind The Wyverns fled to the south and their they stayed. The Firewyrms took refuge underground here they burrowed deep trying in vain to find their parents and set them free.
It was no secret that the Valyrians were heavy practitioners of Magic. Two decades before the doom Valyrians uncovered ancient runes that told of a hidden power deep under the Fourteen Fires. The runes told that it was the key to true Dragon mastery, whether they be wild or tame. The idea of obtaining such power was too tempting to resist. The Dragonlords stopped fighting for a while to uncover this power. they gathered every sorcerer, sorceress mage, warlock, wizard, witch and spellcaster in Valyria to the Fourteen Fires. There they performed a ritual that according to the runes would release the great power.
The spell was caste, but the result was not what the Valyrians were expecting. Instead of some mystical energy, something else entirely was released. The ground shook, the volcanoes of the Fourteen Fires belched at once. the earth spit open the land fractured and broke apart. Vildegrad and Formeathia emerged from the depths. To say that they were huge would have been an understatement. They dwarfed the fourteen flames beeing able to cup the fissure with a single paw and the ground shook with every step they took.
Vildegrad and Formithean looked around and saw dragons being ridden by strange little creatures. Enraged at seeing their 'children' under the control of such rate they unleashed terrible vengence. They leveled Valyria along with its people, most of the dragonlords and the entire peninsula with it. Some of the dragons tried to defend their masters. Vildegrad and Formeathia disciplined them. Using his breath he hatched the remaining eggs, the hatchlings mounted the back of their Father and together the two parents traveled to Ulthos. They were followed by the firewyrms and many of the dragons. In Ulthos they drove out the Great Eagles back to Sothoros as well as the other inhabitants.
Ever since then nobody knows the fate of Vildegrad and Formeathia but one certain thing is that they had turned Ulthos into a dragon nest. What happens in the future would remain to be seen.