Braavos

Braavos is a city nestled in the northwestern corner of Essos, at the where the Narrow Sea gives way to the Shivering Sea. The city itself is spread across at least one hundred smaller islands located within a fog-shrouded lagoon.

Amongst the major noble families of Braavos are the families Antaryon, Maris, Nestoris, Otherys, Prestayn, Reyaan, Sollys and Zalyne.

Layout[]

The Port[]

The Purple Harbour – Open only to Braavosi vessels, the Purple Harbour is maintained to a higher standard than the Ragman’s harbour, boasting cobbled streets and a finer selection of taverns and brothels and mummers playhouses such as the Blue Lantern and the Dome. The Sealord’s Palace and the Moon Pool are also located nearby. It is home of the feared Braavosi fleet of purple-hulled warships, giving the harbour its name.
The Ragman’s Harbour – As the Ragman’s Harbour serves ships from across the Known World, it is much busier, noisier and dirtier than the Purple Harbour, and home to sailmenders and ropemakers, bakers and brewers, thieves and beggars. Catering to sailors, porters and traders, a wealth of inns and pillowhouses are located amongst the winding streets and canals that stretch from the harbour.
The Chequy Port - Not really a true harbour, the Chequy Port is located on the island upon which the fortress structure called the Arsenal is constructed. It serves as an inspection point for all merchant ships seeking to gain entrance to the city, and all visiting vessels are expected to make port for examination by the custom officers of the Sealord. Depending on the size of the ship and the scale of the cargo onboard, such investigations make take upwards of half a day to complete.
The Arsenal - Built across the island it shares with the Chequy Port and sprawling onto the rocky border that surrounds the city, the Arsenal is a fortress-citadel of stone battlements laden heavy with scorpions, spitfires and trebuchets. It serves to protect the city proper from any perceived threats.
Sellagoro’s Shield – Forming the southeastern boundary of the lagoon of Braavos, Sellagoro’s Shield is one of the most outlying isles in the chain of islands. Populated by a band of soldier pines and black spruce, the stony, steep slopes of the island support both the left side of the Titan of Braavos and serve as a windbreak to protect the city from the worst of the storms that oft plague the Narrow Sea.

The Rich and Powerful of Braavos[]

The Sealord’s Palace – Located at the eastern end of the Purple Harbour, the Sealord’s Palace is the grandest building in a city of grand constructions. Sprawling across near a dozen islands, connected by carved stone bridges, the mass of domes and towers is the residency of the Sealord, a man chosen by the city’s magisters and keyholders to defend the city through command of the fearsome Braavosi fleet of warships. Contained within are a great number of gardens, a menagerie claimed to boast striped horses from the plains of the Jogos Nhai, bridled lizards from Sothoryos, and a wealth of exotic birds native to the Summer Isles. The Palace is guarded by a host of bravos, whom fall under the command of the First Sword, a position that near every swordsman in the Free City vie to claim for their own.
The Iron Bank – Surrounded by the extravagant Iron Plaza, the Iron Bank is probably for what the city of Braavos is most famed. Archons and Triarchs, Princes and Kings alike have visited the Bank over the years, seeking loans for sake of conquest and consolidation, as well as uncountable minor merchants, traders and sailors. Many have found, to their peril, that the Iron Bank will always have its due however, and absence of repayment have resulted in inexplicable failure of businesses, sudden loss of authority and in some cases, entirely unsupported by any evidence, unexpected accidents resulting in injury and death.
The Towers of the Keyholders – While nearly one thousand residents of the city claim direct decadence from the twenty-three founders of the Iron Bank, less than ten Keyholder families still own towers within the city. Four of these families, the Prestayns, the Reyaans, the Maris and the Antaryons, each hold islands of their own, upon which they have built manses comparable in size to the keeps of many bannerman of Westeros. From the tip of the spires, one can observe the Free City in its entirety.
Palaces of Justice and Truth – The imposing Palace of Justice and towering Palace of Truth can be found south of the Sealord’s Palace, and serve as the site of trials, judgements and punishments for the entirety of Braavos. Trials typically start within the Palace of Truth, where those worthy of such scrutinises are examined by a panel representative of the five pillars of the Free City, namely the Iron Bank and its Keyholders, The Sealord, The Magisters, The Moonsingers and the Merchant Guilds. Once the trial has been performed, the involved parties move to the Palace of Justice, where sentencing and subsequent punishment are performed. As such, the Palace of Justice also houses a small population of prisoners within its walls.
The Black Pearl, The Nightingale, and the Courtesans - It is said that the courtesans of Braavos are some of the most sought-after companions in the world. Unlike the women of Lys’ pleasure gardens or Volantis’ brothels, the courtesans of Braavos are free women, and often revered as much for their wit and bearing as they are for their beauty. The most famous (or infamous) of the courtesans is the Black Pearl. The first Black Pearl was the captain and pirate queen Bellegere Otherys. Her daughter, born to the Prince of Pentos also took the name the Black Pearl, as did Bellenora’s daughter, and her daughter’s daughter. The Black Pearl is always known for her beauty, her dark skin, and for the last few generations, for having a bit of the dragons blood in her veins. The current Black Pearl, Bellemira Otherys is no different. The most attractive of the courtesans is known as The Nightingale, and there is an unwritten rule within Braavosi society that no other woman can be compared favourably to her beauty. This unwritten law is upheld by the city's bravos, who are known for asking the question: "Who is the most beautiful women in the world?", and challenging any who answer incorrectly to a duel. The relationship between the Black Pearl and the Nightingale is always tumultuous, with both women regularly trying to upstage the other, and it is not uncommon for matters to escalate beyond simple slights and social snubs.

Living in the City[]

Sweetwater River – Out of necessity to provide the citizens of the Free City with a water supply beyond the brackish, briny water of the lagoon, the Braavosi constructed the Sweetwater River. An aqueduct built of grey stone and brick, the channel brings water from mainland Essos, depositing the fresh water in a series of public pools from which commoners may fill their buckets. The last of these pools, the Moon Pool, is known as the site of a great number of duels between Bravos wielding slender blades. Entering the city on its south side, the Sweetwater River serves a vital role to the city, and is guarded heavily as such.
The Moon Pool – At the end of the Sweetwater River’s winding route through the city of Braavos, the Moon Pool can be found. A popular location in the northeastern aspect of the city, the Pool is frequented by numerous peddlers and merchants hoping to sell their wares to those enjoying mummer’s shows and the honeyed voices of singers who perform around the waters. It is said that some of the best alehouses, inns and brothels of Braavos are also located nearby.
The Drowned Town – A symptom of the slowly sinking status of the Free City, the Drowned Town is the name given to the portion of Braavos already lost into the murky waters of the lagoon. Under the weight of the Braavosi construction, the islands of the archipelago have begun to sink, and now the majority of the storehouses, inns and brothels located in this part of the City are largely submerged, although some residents still linger, using the upper floors that, as of yet, remain untouched by the waves.
The Canals - Braavos is comprised of a hundred islands linked together by small stone bridges spanning the many canals throughout the city. The houses in the humbler regions are tightly packed together, even over the canals. One of the bigger canals is the Canal of Heroes, located closest to the Titan of Braavos, the Chequy Port, and the Arsenal. Multiple bridges cross the Canal of Heroes, and along both sides are rows of statues of deceased Sealords. The canal leads directly to the center of the city, where the Isle of the Gods is located. The Green Canal leads from the Palace of Truth to the east side of the lagoon, and the Black Canal can be crossed when travelling to the Ragman's Harbour.
The House of Red Hands - Located nearby the Moon Pool, the House of Red Hands serves as a place of healing and hospice for the sick and injured of Braavos. The assessment and treatments are presided over by one known only as the First Healer, an individual, who, as a sign of their dedication to the healing arts, gives up everything to the role, including their identity and past life.

The Isle of Gods[]

The Isle of Gods is one of largest islands within the archipelago upon which the city is built. As the limitation of choice of faith is outlawed in Braavos, the Isle is home to hundreds of shrines, large and small, praising gods and deities from across the Known World.

Temple of the Moonsingers – The Moonsingers of the Jogos Nhai are particularly revered by the Braavosi people, as it is said that a Moonsinger’s vision that first led the escaped slaves of Valyria to the fog-hidden lagoon in which the Free City is built. The largest temple in the city, the great dome of snow-white marble and silvered stone displays every phase of the moon. At each of the four gates permitting entrance, two marble maidens join hands, forming a crescent with their arms.
The Temple of the Lord of Light – Though not as large as the temple dedicated to Red God in the City of Volantis, the Temple of R’hllor in Braavos is still large enough to comfortably enclose a mighty square tower built from red stone, a great iron brazier over twenty feet across at its crest. Along with the smaller braziers that flank each entrance and exit from the Temple, the fires within burn every hour of the day.
The House of Black and White – Situated upon the Isle of Gods, the House of Black and White is a largely featureless building built on a rocky knoll of dark grey stone. At the top of a set of stairs cut directly into the rock, two looming doors can be found, one milk-white hewn from weirwood, the other jet-black, carved from ebony. Inside, statues of nearly thirty gods may be found, all arranged around a central pool of still water.
The Sept-Beyond-the-Sea - on the Isle of the Gods, the Sept-Beyond-the-Sea and her septas and septons offer worship to the Seven for Westerosi sailors visiting the city, and more recently for Andal refugees. Despite its recent growth in popularity, most Westerosi visitors to the city come from the North, and as such seek out weirwoods over that of the vigils of the Seven.

Timeline of Events[]

309AC - When Pentos sails to war, many in the city of Braavos turn to the Sealord for explanations of why such breach of the treaty after the Six Wars Against Subjugation was tolerated. Transactions through the Iron Bank confirm their suspicions, and the Sealord Tormo Fregar is found guilty of accepting bribes from Illyrio Mopatis. Fearing that should their campaign across the Narrow Sea prove successful Pentos might seek to strike at Braavos, riots take place outside the Sealord's Palace but no response comes from within. It is revealed nearly three moons later that Fregar was killed by his servants - something that many believe the Iron Bank and the Keyholders were responsible for. A member of the Nestoris family is selected to serve as the next Sealord, and would do so for nearly forty years.
314AC - Spread from sailors bound out of Lys, small outbreaks of Crimson Fever affect the Free Cities, although Lorath and Braavos, colder than their peers are nearly completely spared.
331AC - Representatives of the Keyholders parley with Lord Prester when he arrives in Braavos seeking to persuade them to transfer the outstanding debts of Petyr Baelish from the coffers of the Kingdom of the Iron Throne to that of the Kingdom of Winter. They agree to transfer half the remaining debt to the that of Robb Stark, who refuses to pay the dues. In response, White Harbor is sacked by sellsails, followed quickly by strikes against Karstark men moving to assist. The sellsails win a victory against the Vale fleet at White Harbor, allowing further pillaging of the city of its riches. Another deal is offered to King Robb, which is also promptly refused, spurning further battles.
332AC - After a series of further conflicts between the North and the Iron Bank of Braavos, the Braavosi backed sellswords remain victorious despite the heavy losses taken. The King of Winter finally agrees to the terms offered, and orders raids to take place in the Summer Isles to help finance the payments to be made.
349AC - Growing increasingly irritated at the disruption of trade through the Stepstones, the Sealord of Braavos partners with Magisters of Pentos and Myr to remove the pirate-king supposedly responsible. Purple-hulled vessels fall upon the pirate's kingdom based out of Highwatch. They spend the next year and a half systematically scouring each isle in turn, eradicating all pirates, corsairs and raiders that they find.
350AC - The Braavosi attempt to set up a trading colony of Scarwood, in the Stepstones, much to the irritation of the Tyroshi and Lyseni. The Archon at the time, Syrynio Pahyrs, hires the Red Hands to attack the colonists, then denies Tyroshi involvement upon the rage of the Sealord. The Braavosi abandon their efforts in the Stepstones.
364AC - The Triarch Laerys Vaelaros, one of the most popular men to hold the office in recent memory dies in mysterious circumstances. As accusations are tossed between the cities of the Known World, others too whispered along the Rhoyne that surely the Braavosi had been involved in the Triarch’s death. They opposed slavery after all, but the Bay of Dragons was too far away for even the fleets and lackeys of the Sealord to reach and thus the gaze of Bessaro Nestoris had turned to Volantis - or so the Governor of Valysar Rhaemar Agnalor claimed.
365AC - The Menagerie of the Sealord of Braavos is raided, the thieves stealing away a pair of hyacinth macaws, a zorse and even one of the tattooed lizards said to be found only within the Green Hell of Sothoryos. A search is carried out throughout the city, uncovering a black market that specialises in components of traditional Lengii medicine, but the creatures are not found.
374AC - Braavos remains a strong naval power, although it is for the Iron Bank that the Secret Sister is most well-known. As their power as grown and grown, the Iron Bank has bought out and subsequently quelled the numerous other money-lenders found throughout the Free Cities. Representatives of the Bank can be found within near all the Free Cities as a result, but for anyone looking for a sum of any great value, they must still travel for the city of Braavos nonetheless.