The Braavos-Pentos Wars are a series of wars fought between the Free Cities of Braavos and Pentos during the last century. The last of the wars was fought a generation ago, in 183AC, and resulted in a Braavosi victory.
History[]
The First Braavos-Pentoshi War (124 - 125AC)[]
This conflict took place between the Sealord Bessaro Erastes and the bellicose magisters of Pentos, who sought to test their northern neighbour. Their sudden assault saw Braavosi settlements along the northern reaches of Andalos sacked and burned, while the Pentoshi fleet traveled up the Narrow Sea to fight a battle in the very shadow of the Titan. It was a narrow victory for Braavos, who managed to fend off their aggressors, negotiating an uneasy peace from a position of strength.
The Second Braavos-Pentoshi War (137-139AC)[]
The rise of a new Sealord saw the mood in Braavos shift from one of defense and self-preservation to offensive minded tactics. Eager to avenge the slights of the last war, and encouraged by the Sealord's own morals to end the plague of slavery in Pentos, Braavos launched an assault on the south that brought their armies to the Velvet Hills. There three subsequent Princes of Pentos fell in battle, each named by the Magisters only to be slain by bravos. Even as the third fell however, the Braavos line was broken, and the jubilant Pentoshi soldiers chased their defeated foes for days; littering the lands between their two territories with the bodies of the fallen.
The War of the Iron Bay (158AC)[]
The ships of Braavos were better crafted and better manned than their foes from Pentos and her allies. Thrice they dashed them against the shore, against wave and rock and prow. They bent and buckled before the Braavosi fleet - then broke, as the Sealord earned his title.
The War of the Iron Bay was Braavos' first true victory against Pentos, and both sides point to the other as starting the conflict. Pentos, still proud in their victory over Braavos nearly twenty years later, had grown smug and arrogant in their perceived invincibility. When a passing merchant vessel was seized by Myrio Haratis and pressed into service, it was discovered that one of the men onboard was the son of the Sealord of Braavos. Rather than ransom him back, the Pentoshi magister enslaved and humiliated him.
Enraged by his son's treatment, the Sealord of Braavos wasted no time in raising his fleet. The might of Braaovs sailed slowly down the coast, making no secret of their approach - thrice they smashed the forces of Pentos sent to thwart them, many sellswords switching sides at the sight of the mighty armada. Less than six months after his son was first captured, the Sealord and his host attacked the city of Pentos by sea. The battle was bloody, long and fierce - but in the end, he was victorious. Pentos fell for the very first time. The Braavosi sacked the city, and carried off both Myrio, the Prince, and many men and women of noble blood. Pentos was forced to acquiesce to the demands of Braavos, banning slavery for the very first time.
The War of the Motley Prince (173 - 177AC)[]
The rise of a new Prince in Pentos saw its recent fortunes turned - the years since Iron Bay had not been kind, and many blamed Braavos for the hardship. While most Princes were generally figureheads, and lacking in power, the Motley Prince was beloved by the city, and wealthy enough to command considerable authority in the magisterial council. Under his leadership Pentos threw off the yoke of Braavos, and fought a war of liberation that lasted nigh on five years. Battling on sea and on land, first with, then against, then once more with the city of Myr, and even turning a nearby host of Dothraki upon his foes - the Motley Prince proved to be Pentos' finest protector, winning the war in the Battle of the Titan at the very gates of Braavos. The city itself was never taken, but Braavos nonetheless surrendered, bringing true peace to the two cities for the first time in over two generations.
The Fifth Braavos-Pentoshi War (181 - 183AC)[]
After a poor harvest led to the execution of the Motley Prince, and the sudden death of the Sealord saw a change in direction for the city of Braavos, the two states were brought once more into conflict, both on land and sea. Without their champion to lead them the Pentoshi were soon defeated, though the cost on Braavos in both blood and coin was dear indeed.
Outcome[]
Since the last Braavos-Pentoshi war, the latter city has been forced to concede to the superiority of its northern neighbour. Their fleet was forced to all but disband, save for sixty used to defend the Bay from pirates and marauders. In terms of soldiers, Pentos still keeps on many - mainly to warn off any particularly ambitious Khals, and to police it's outlying lands. It is still forbidden to hire more than ten thousand at once, however; this on top of the payments the city still makes to the city of Braavos and its Sealord.