View source for Band of Nine

{{Organization
| Name = Band of Nine
| image =
| image_caption =
| Symbol =
| Type = Outlaw alliance
| Seat =
| Region = [[Free Cities]]
| Allegiance =
| Current_Leader =
| Founder = Ninepenny Kings <small>([[Band of Nine#The Names and Styles of the Band of Nine|see below]])</small>
| Founded = {{Date|258}}, beneath the [[Tree of Crowns]]
| Disbanded =
| Reorganized =
}}
The '''Band of Nine''', also known as the '''Ninepenny Kings''', was a group of merchants, [[mercenaries]] and [[pirates]] from the [[Free Cities]] who banded together to carve out kingdoms for themselves and who caused great turmoil in [[Essos]] and the [[Stepstones]]. This group was the cause of the [[War of the Ninepenny Kings]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}

==History==
The Band of Nine was born in {{Date|258}}, when nine outlaws, exiles, pirates, and sellsword captains met beneath the [[Tree of Crowns]] as to form an alliance, swearing to aid each other in conquering kingdoms for each of the nine members.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} They began their conquests by overrunning the [[Disputed Lands]] and [[Sack of Tyrosh|sacking]] [[Tyrosh]], where they set up [[Alequo Adarys]] as a tyrant. They then marched on the [[Stepstones]], conquering them with ease.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}

King [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen]] had known that the Band of Nine meant to win the [[Seven Kingdoms]] for [[Maelys I Blackfyre|Maelys the Monstrous]], who styled himself "King Maelys I Blackfyre". But he hoped that the alliance of rogues would founder in Essos, or fall at the hands of another alliance in the [[Free Cities]]. When that did not happen, the thin and scrawny king, who did not lack for courage or intelligence, resolved to meet the Ninepenny Kings upon the Stepstones, choosing to take the war to them. The actions that followed are collectively known as the [[War of the Ninepenny Kings|War of the Ninepenny Kings, or the Fifth Blackfyre Rebellion]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}

The [[House Targaryen|Targaryens]] responded quickly, sending their own force to the Stepstones. [[Maester]] [[Eon]]'s ''[[Account of the War of the Ninepenny Kings]]'', is a splendid source  for the details of fighting, with its many battles on land and sea. It showed that the war ended when Ser [[Barristan Selmy]] killed the pretender Maelys I Blackfyre. The remainder of the Ninepenny Kings had no interest in [[Westeros]] and fell back to their own domains. Half a year of hard fighting remained before the Band of Nine lost the Stepstones and the Disputed Lands, but Alequo, the Tyrant of Tyrosh,  managed to remain in power for another six years, before the [[Archon]] of Tyrosh was restored.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}

==The Names and Styles of the Band of Nine==
* The [[Old Mother]], a [[Pirates|pirate]] queen.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}
* {{coa|Lys|inline}} [[Samarro Saan]], known as the Last Valyrian, a notorious pirate from a [[Saan family|notorious family]] of pirates from [[Lys]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}
* [[Xhobar Qhoqua]], the Ebon Prince, an exile prince from the [[Summer Isles]] who founded and led a [[Mercenary|sellsword]] company in the Disputed Lands.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}
* [[Liomond Lashare]], the Lord of Battles, a famed sellsword captain.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}
* [[Spotted Tom]], known as the Butcher, from [[Westeros]], captain of a free company in the Disputed Lands.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}
* Ser [[Derrick Fossoway]], known as the Bad Apple, an exile from Westeros, a [[knight]] with a black reputation.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}
* [[Nine Eyes]], captain of the ''[[Jolly Fellows]]''.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}
* {{coa|Tyrosh|inline}} [[Alequo Adarys]], known as the Silvertongue, later called the Tyrant of Tyrosh, a [[Tyrosh]]i merchant prince, ambitious and wealthy.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}
* {{coa|Blackfyre|inline}} [[Maelys I Blackfyre]], known as the Monstrous, [[captain-general]] of the [[Golden Company]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}

==References==
{{References}}

[[Category:Band of Nine| ]]
[[Category:Organizations]]
[[Category:Free Cities]]

[[es:Banda de los Nueve]]
[[fr:Bande des Neuf]]