Difference between revisions of "Braavos"

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| location = [[Free Cities]], [[Essos]]
 
| location = [[Free Cities]], [[Essos]]
 
| settlement_type = [[Free City]]
 
| settlement_type = [[Free City]]
| seat =[[Sealord of Braavos]]
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| seat = [[Sealord of Braavos]]
 
| seat_type =
 
| seat_type =
| religion = All gods are honored in Braavos
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| religion = Mixed religions
 
| population =  
 
| population =  
| founder = [[Moonsingers]] and other refugees fleeing [[Valyrian]] expansion
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| founder = Escaped slaves from the [[Valyrian Freehold]]
| founded = 500 years before [[Aegon's Landing]]
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| founded =  
 
| named_for =
 
| named_for =
| places = [[Titan of Braavos]], [[Drowned Town]], <br>[[House of Black and White]],<br> Purple Harbor, Ragman's Harbor, [[Temple of the Moonsingers]],<br>[[Patternmaker's Maze]], [[Stones of the Silent God]]
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| places = [[Titan of Braavos]], [[Drowned Town]], <br>[[House of Black and White]],<br> Purple Harbor, Ragman's Harbor<br>[[Temple of the Moonsingers]],<br>[[Patternmaker's Maze]], [[Stones of the Silent God]]
 
| organizations = [[Faceless Men]], [[Iron Bank of Braavos]], [[Moonsingers]]
 
| organizations = [[Faceless Men]], [[Iron Bank of Braavos]], [[Moonsingers]]
 
}}
 
}}
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[[File:Free Cities.png|thumb|300px|Nine Free Cities on the continent of [[Essos]]:<br>[[Pentos]], Braavos, [[Lys]], [[Qohor]], [[Norvos]], [[Myr]], [[Tyrosh]], [[Volantis]], [[Lorath]]]]
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'''Braavos''', known as '''Braavos of the Hundred Isles''', the '''Secret City''', is the wealthiest and likely the most powerful of the [[Free Cities]], located in a lagoon on the northwestern end of [[Essos]], where the [[narrow sea]] and the [[Shivering Sea]] meet.{{Ref|aCoK|41}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}}
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==City==
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Braavos sprawls across a hundred islands in a vast lagoon.{{Ref|aGoT|41}}{{Ref|AFFC|15}} The [[Volantis|Volantenes]] are fond of boasting that the hundred isles of Braavos can be dropped and drowned in their own harbor.{{Ref|ADWD|6}} It is the youngest, the wealthiest, and most likely the most powerful of the nine [[Free Cities]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}} The nearby mainland is mostly marshland, whilst the seaward sides of the city are protected by tall, mountainous islands which form a semi-circle around the city. Firewood is brought in by barge, while pines on the islands surrounding the city are left to act as windbreaks to protect the harbors, and are illegal to cut down.{{Ref|aFfC|26}} There is a stretch of land to the south called the [[Braavosian Coastland]] that is claimed by Braavos.<ref>''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'', [[Map of the Free Cities (A Dance with Dragons)|Map of the Free Cities]]</ref> The western coast of [[Lorath Bay]] is also under Braavosi control.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Lorath}} The Braavosi fleets dominate the seas northwest of [[Essos]], protected by the warlords belonging to the Sealord.{{Ref|TWOIAF| Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}} To enter the lagoon in which Braavos is located, one must pass beneath the [[Titan of Braavos]], a stone fortress in the shape of a huge warrior.{{Ref|AFFC|6}}{{Ref|AFFC|15}} The Titan roars every dawn{{Ref|AFFC|34}} and every sunset,{{Ref|ADWD|45}} and appears to roar every hour as well,<ref name=Mercy>''[[The Winds of Winter]]'', [[Mercy (The Winds of Winter)|Mercy]]</ref> as well as when a ship is approaching, as to warn the [[Arsenal]].{{Ref|AFFC|6}} It's roar can be heard across the city, faint, but capable of waking the sleeping city.{{Ref|AFFC|34}} Just beyond the Titan the [[Arsenal]] is located - a vast shipyard, where a warship can be build in a day.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}}{{Ref|AFFC|6}}
  
[[File:Free Cities.png|thumb|300px|Nine Free Cities on the continent of [[Essos]]:<br>[[Pentos]], Braavos, [[Lys]], [[Qohor]], [[Norvos]], [[Myr]], [[Tyrosh]], [[Volantis]], [[Lorath]]]]
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The city is comprised of a hundred islands linked together by small stone bridges spanning the many canals throughout the city. The houses in the more humbler regions are tightly packed together, even over the canals.<ref name=Mercy></ref> One of the bigger canals is the [[Canal of Heroes]], located closest to the Titan of Braavos and the Arsenal. The canal leads directly to the center of the city, where the [[Isle of Gods]] is located.{{Ref|AFFC|6}}{{Ref|TLOIAF| Braavos}} Multiple bridges cross the Long Canal, including a carved stone bridge decorated with half a hundred kinds of fish and crabs and squids, a bridge carved with lacy leafy vines, and a painted bridge with a thousand painted eyes.{{Ref|AFFC|6}} Along both sides of the canal, a row of statues of deceased Sealords can be found. They are mostly carved wearing long bronze robes, and hold various items in their hands, such as books, daggers, or hammers. One holds a golden star and another is upending a stone flagon from which fresh water flows.{{Ref|ADWD|64}}{{Ref|AFFC|6}} A second canal of note is the [[Green Canal]], leading from the Palace of Truth to the east side of the lagoon.{{Ref|TLOIAF| Braavos}} Also of note is the [[Long Canal]], the broadest of the three waterways, leading from the center of the city to the south of the lagoon, where a fishmarket is located.{{Ref|TLOIAF| Braavos}} The [[First Law of Braavos]] has been engraved in stone on an arch spanning this canal.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}} Along the Long Canal, the [[Palace of Truth]] can be found, as well as the tall square towers of the [[Prestayns]] (west-side) and [[Antaryons]] (east-side). South of these towers, the large grey aqueduct of the [[sweetwater river]] crosses the Long Canal, after the [[Silty Town]] is passed on the east side of the canal. Here, the houses are smaller, and less grand.{{Ref|AFFC|34}}
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There are no trees to be found within the city (except in the courts and gardens of the mighty{{Ref|aFfC|26}}), making Braavos a flat city of stone architecture and granite monuments.{{Ref|AFFC|6}} The streets are lined with houses made of grey stone, built so close that they lean upon one another. Some houses are built above waterways. They are usually slim buildings with peaked tile roofs, raised four to five stories tall.{{Ref|aFfC|6}} Braavos has no walls.{{Ref|AFFC|6}} The islands surrounding Braavos are covered with pines, which act as windbreaks, protecting the harbors. It is illegal to cut these trees down. Because of this, and the lack of wood in the remainder of the city, the price of firewood, which has to be brought in by barge, is high.{{Ref|AFFC|26}}
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As the water from the lagoon is brackish and briny and the canal water is not drinkable without first boiling it,{{Ref|aFfC|6}} the Braavosi have build the [[sweetwater river]] to supply themselves with clean water. A grey stone roadway supported by three tiers of arches traveling from the south, looming above the canals and houses, it brings fresh water from the mainland across the mudflats and the briny shallows. Rich men pipe it directly into their homes, while commoners fill buckets at public fountains.{{Ref|AFFC|26}} The sweetwater river ends at the [[Moon Pool]].{{Ref|AFFC|34}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}}
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A second district of Braavos is called the [[Drowned Town]]. This is the eldest part of the city,{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}} located in an area in the north-west of the city,{{Ref|TLOIAF| Braavos}} directly north of [[Ragman's Harbor]],{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}}{{Ref|AFFC|45}} where the town has fallen into the lagoon and only the domes and towers of the old buildings are visible above the surface of the water.{{Ref|aFfC|34}} In the higher part of the half-submerged buildings, some of the poorer people still live.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}} The [[Spotted Cellar]] is located near the gates to the Drowned Town. There, eel fights are being held.{{Ref|aFfC|34}} East of the Drowned Town, [[The Gate]] can be found,
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Scattered throughout the city are small wharves and landings for the fishermen and ferries.{{Ref|aFfC|26}} Some of the wharves are located below the Drowned Town.{{Ref|AFFC|22}} Further, the city is served by three main harbors: the [[Cheque Port]], located directly behind the Arsenal, where the ships arriving in Braavos have to submit to inspection by the Sealord's customs officers upon arrival in the city;{{Ref|AFFC|6}}  the [[Purple Harbor]], located in the north of the city beneath the towers and domes of the [[Sealord's Palace]], a harbor for Braavosi ships only;{{Ref|AFFC|26}}{{Ref|ADWD|44}} and [[Ragman's Harbor]],{{Ref|AFFC|26}} also called the Outer Harbor,<ref name=Mercy></ref> located in the west of the city, where all foreign ships are allowed to dock. Ragman's is poorer, rougher, dirtier, and noisier than the Purple Harbor.{{Ref|AFFC|26}}{{Ref|AFFC|34}}
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[[File:braavos_tvseries.jpg|500px|thumb|left|Braavos and the [[Titan of Braavos]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]
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All gods are honored in Braavos, and therefore, there are many temples and shrines to be found in the city. Most of the temples are located on the isle in the center of the city, known as the 'Isle of the Gods'.{{Ref|AFFC|6}}{{Ref|tloiaf| Braavos}} Amongst them is the [[Temple of the Moonsingers]], who led the original Braavosi refugees to the islands. Theirs is the biggest temple, built of white marble capped with a silvered dome, milk glass windows showing all the phases of the moon, and a pair of marble maidens flanks its gates. Other temples of note are the temple of the [[Father of Waters]], which is rebuilt whenever he takes a new bride, the [[House of Black and White]], where homage is done to the [[Many-Faced God]], the temple of [[R'hllor]], made of red stone, with a great square tower, and a sept for the [[Faith of the Seven|Seven]] named the [[Sept-Beyond-the-Sea]], where only [[Westeros]]i come to pray.{{Ref|AFFC|6}}{{Ref|ADWD|45}} Other sites include the shrine of the [[Weeping Lady of Lys]], the [[Gardens of Gelenei]], the wooden hall of the [[Lord of Harmony]], the house of the [[Great Shepherd]], a three-turreted tower honoring [[Trios]], the [[Stones of the Silent God]], the [[Patternmaker's Maze]], the temple of [[Aquan the Red Bull]], and twin temples honoring [[Semosh and Selloso]],{{ref|ADWD|64}} and the temple of the [[Cult of Starry Wisdom]].{{ref|ADWD|45}} Even gods that have no more followers are honored in a temple called the [[Holy Refuge]] or, colloquially, the Warren.{{Ref|aFfC|6}}
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In autumn, Braavos generally knows three types of weather: fog, rain, and freezing rain. However, there are also days that are clear, crisp, and and bright.{{Ref|AFFC|34}} Close to winter, the canals can have ice on them.{{Ref|ADWD|44}}
  
'''Braavos''', known as '''Braavos of the Hundred Isles''', is the greatest and most powerful of the [[Free Cities]], located in a lagoon on the northwestern end of [[Essos]], where the [[narrow sea]] and the [[Shivering Sea]] meet.{{Ref|aCoK|41}} There is a stretch of land to the south called the [[Braavosian Coastland]] that is claimed by Braavos.<ref>''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'', [[Map of the Free Cities (A Dance with Dragons)|Map of the Free Cities]]</ref> The ruler of Braavos is known as the [[Sealord]] and it is from the sea that the city’s power and wealth flows. The city is sometimes called the Bastard Son of Valyria.{{Ref|aFfC|34}}
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The best inns, alehouses and brothels lie near the Purple Harbor or the Moon Pool.{{Ref|AFFC|26}} At the latter, the bravos fight at night.{{Ref|AFFC|34}} Healers for hire are found at the [[House of the Red Hands]].{{Ref|AFFC|34}} The [[Blue Lantern]] and the [[Dome]], two mummers' playhouses, are located near the Purple Harbor.{{ref|TLOIAF| Braavos}} Near Ragman's Harbor, one can find the [[Inn of the Green Eel‎‎]], the [[Black Bargeman]], [[Moroggo's]], the [[Foghouse]] the [[Outcast Inn]], the [[House of Seven Lamps]], the [[Satin Palace]], the [[Sailmender]] and the [[Cattery]],{{Ref|AFFC|26}}{{Ref|TLOIAF| Braavos}}{{Ref|ADWD|45}} the [[Happy Port]], across from the [[the Ship|Mummer's Ship]],{{Ref|AFFC|26}}{{Ref|AFFC|34}}{{Ref|TLOIAF| Braavos}} [[Pynto's]],{{Ref|ADWD|45}}{{Ref|TLOIAF| Braavos}} and beneath the second arch of Nabbo's Bridge lies a winesink, a small, cramped, dirty establishment with barely enough space to fit ten people.{{Ref|AFFC|26}}{{Ref|TLOIAF| Braavos}}
  
==History==
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==People==
Unlike the other Free Cities, Braavos was never part of the [[Valyrian Freehold]], but was instead founded 500 years before [[Aegon's Landing]] by refugees fleeing Valyrian [[slavery]] after rising in rebellion and taking control of a large slaver convoy bound for a newly established colony in [[Sothoryos]]. Led by [[Moonsingers]] of the [[Jogos Nhai]], they settled a a distant, fogged lagoon in behind a wall of pine-clad hills northwest of Essos.{{ref|TWOIAF| Braavos}}
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By and large, Braavosi are a kind people,{{Ref|ADWD|45}} great lovers of song.{{Ref|ASOS|32}} Wealthy Braavosi dress in charcoal grey, purple, blues so dark that are almost black, and blacks as dark as moonlight. Bravos, in contrast, dress in flambouyant colors.{{Ref|AFFC|26}} Instead of traveling by horse, the Braavosi use boats.{{Ref|AFFC|15}}
  
Because they had risked their lives in the name of freedom, the founders of Braavos vowed that no man, woman, or child in the city should ever be a slave, [[thrall]], or bondsman. This became the [[First Law of Braavos]], engraved in stone on the arch that spans the [[Long Canal]].{{ref|TWOIAF| Braavos}}
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Braavos is renowned worldwide for its [[courtesan]]s. Every courtesan has her own barge and servants to work them. Songs are sung about them, and they are showered with gifts from goldsmiths and craftsmen beg for their custom.{{Ref|AFFC|34}} Additionally, pugnacious [[bravos]] fill the city, frequently dueling to display their skill. Visibly wearing a sword at night means that you can be challenged to a fight, though the bravos do not bother anyone who does not wear a sword. Bravos are known to kill each other in the name of courtesans, and some take it as a challenge when another claims that another woman than the [[Nightingale]] is the most beautiful woman in the world.{{Ref|AFFC|26}}{{Ref|AFFC|22}}{{Ref|aFfC|34}}
  
For centuries it was called the Secret City and remained relatively unknown to the rest of the world, with ships carrying false charts and practicing deceit when questioned about their home port, for more than a century, until Sealord [[Uthero Zalyne]] sent forth his ships to proclaim the existence and location of Braavos, inviting men to celebrate the 111th festival of the city's founding. This event became known as the Uncloaking or the Unmasking of Uthero. With both original slaves and masters dead the [[dragonlords]] of Valyria showed little interest in the fate of escaped slaves from a century before. Nevertheless the [[Iron Bank]] paid handsome settlements to the grandchildren of owners of the ships seized by the founders, whilst refusing to pay for the value of the slaves themselves.{{ref|TWOIAF| Braavos}}
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Braavosi culture has created a unique form of sword fighting, called the “water dance”. The style is a refined form of fencing in which the practitioner stands sideways and wields a slender blade.{{Ref|AGOT|22}} The greatest of the bravos call themselves water dancers, and they always duel at night. They take their name from the costum of dueling on the Moon Pool, near the Sealord's Palace.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}}
  
A hundred years ago the Braavosi imposed on [[Pentos]] a treaty preventing slavery.{{ref|ADWD|1}}
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The ruler of Braavos is called the [[Sealord of Braavos]], who lives in his [[Sealord's Palace|Palace]] located in the north-east of the city. The Sealord is chosen by the magisters and keyholders from Braavos, and serves for life. His personal guard is commanded by the [[First Sword]] of Braavos.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}}{{Ref|TLOIAF| Braavos}} The exact position of the [[Third Sword]]<ref name=Mercy></ref> is not known. The Sealord is not followed by his heir, but instead, upon the death of one Sealord, a new one is chosen. Usually, that means the knives will come out. [[Tormo Fregar]] is believed by some to become the next Sealord of Braavos.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}
  
==City==
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Instead of making farces, Braavosi mummers play out written stories.{{Ref|AFFC|15}} braavosi mummers can be found at the playhouses the [[Ship]], the [[Gate]], the [[Blue Lantern]], and the [[Dome]].{{Ref|AFFC|34}}{{Ref|AFFC|26}}<ref name=Mercy></ref>
  
Braavos sprawls across a hundred islands in a vast lagoon.{{Ref|aGoT|41}} The nearby mainland is mostly marshland, whilst the seaward sides of the city are protected by tall, mountainous islands which form a semi-circle around the city. Firewood is brought in by barge, while pines on the islands surrounding the city are left to act as windbreaks to protect the harbors, and are illegal to cut down.{{Ref|aFfC|26}} There is only one channel large and deep enough to accommodate ocean-going ships. This channel is defended by a massive statue called the [[Titan of Braavos]], which serves as landmark, lighthouse and defensive fortification. Just beyond the Titan lies the citadel and the vast shipyard called the [[Arsenal]]. The city proper lies beyond, a great sprawl of domes and towers and bridges in hues of grey, gold, and red.{{Ref|aFfC|6}}
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The anniversary of the [[Uncloaking of Uthero|Uncloaking]] is celebrated anually. The masked feasts last for ten days, and culminate in the midnight of the tenth day, when the Titan roars and all of the celebrants remove their masks at the same time.{{ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}}
  
The city is comprised of a hundred islands linked together by small stone bridges spanning the many canals throughout the city. There are no trees to be found within the city (except in the courts and gardens of the mighty{{Ref|aFfC|26}}), making Braavos a city of stone architecture and granite monuments. The streets are lined with houses made of grey stone, built so close that they lean upon one another. Some houses are built above waterways. They are usually slim buildings with peaked tile roofs, raised four to five stories tall. Above the houses and canals there is an aqueduct, called the sweetwater river, that brings fresh water from the mainland as the water from the lagoon is brackish, briny and unfit for drinking.{{Ref|aFfC|6}}
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==Economy==
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[[File:Coin of Braavos.png|250px|thumb|right|A [[coin]] of Braavos, as depicted by Nutchapol Thitinunthakorn in ''[[The World of Ice and Fire]]'']]
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Braavos is the most powerful of the Free Cities, in part due to the wealth and influence of the [[Iron Bank]].{{Ref|AWOIAF| Braavos}} The Iron Bank lends money to foreign nations, including the [[Seven Kingdoms]].{{Ref|AGOT|20}} Braavosi coins are square and made from iron.{{Ref|ADWD|64}}
  
Braavos is served by two main harbors. The [[Purple Harbor]], in the north, is used by locals only, while the Ragman's Harbor in the west is where foreign ships are moored. All ships have to submit to inspection by the Sealord's customs officers at the Chequy Port. Scattered throughout the city are small wharves and landings for the fishermen and ferries.{{Ref|aFfC|26}}
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During the years when Braavos was as of yet undiscovered, the city prospered. The Braavosi discovered a sea snail similar to those that could be found at [[Tyrosh]], and whose dyes had made the city famous. The snail found by the Braavosi yielded dark purple dye, which the Braavosi used to color the sails of the ships the founders had stolen from the Valyrians.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}} They paint their hulls purple too.{{Ref|ADWD|11}} At first, Braavos began to trade with [[Ib]], and later the [[Seven Kingdoms]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}}
  
All gods are honored in Braavos. Most of the temples are located on the isle in the center of the city, known as the 'Isle of the Gods'. Among them is the [[Temple of the Moonsingers]] who led the original Braavosi refugees to the islands. Another temple of note is the temple to the [[Father of Waters]] which is rebuilt whenever he takes a new bride, as well as temples to the [[Many-Faced God]] and [[R'hllor]], and a sept for the [[Faith of the Seven|Seven]] named the [[Sept-Beyond-the-Sea]]. Other sites include the shrine of the [[Weeping Lady of Lys]], the [[Gardens of Gelenei]], the wooden hall of the [[Lord of Harmony]], the house of the [[Great Shepherd]], a three-turreted tower honoring [[Trios]], the [[Stones of the Silent God]], the [[Patternmaker's Maze]], the temple of [[Aquan the Red Bull]], and twin temples honoring [[Semosh and Selloso]].{{ref|ADWD|64}} Even gods that have no more followers are honored in a temple called the [[Holy Refuge]] or, colloquially, the Warren.{{Ref|aFfC|6}}{{ref|ADWD|64}}
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Braavos has a seafaring trade culture. Much of the city's early wealth came from the brackish waters of the lagoon. These waters yielded oysters, eels, crabs, crawfish, clams, rays, and many sorts of fish. Braavosi [[ships]] paint their hulls purple and their merchant ships sail to many distant lands and bring their trade and wealth back home. One hears of purple sails as far away as [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]]. In the present, Braavos is one of the greatest ports of the world, where all but slavers are allowed to dock. Even ships from [[Qarth]] and the [[Summer Isles]] come to Braavos to trade.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}}{{Ref|aFfC|6}}{{Ref|aDwD|6}}
  
The [[Drowned Town]] is an area of Braavos where the town has fallen into the lagoon and only the domes and towers of the old buildings are visible above the surface of the water.{{Ref|aFfC|34}}
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==History==
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===Origins===
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Unlike the other Free Cities, Braavos was never part of the [[Valyrian Freehold]]. The city was founded by escaped slaves, fleeing the grasp of the Valyrian Freehold. The slaves rebelled on their way from Valyria to a new colony in [[Sothoryos]], took control of the ships, and turned north instead of south, travelling as far as they could. According to the histories of Braavos, it was a group of slave women from the lands of [[Jogos Nhai]], the [[moonsingers]], who predicted where shelter could be found. Thus, the slaves travelled to the distant lagoon, hidden away from sight of the dragonlords by the wall of hills covered with pine trees and the fog covering the lagoon.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}} The founders of Braavos had risked their lives for freedom, and swore a vow that no one in their city would ever be a slave, [[thrall]], or bondsman. This vow became the [[First Law of Braavos]], and is engraved on the arch spanning the Long Canal.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}}
  
Below the Drowned Town, there are a series of wharves.{{ref|aFfC|22}} Among the areas where one can pause in Braavos is the Moon Pool. The [[bravos]] often duel at the Moon Pool by night.{{Ref|aFfC|34}} Healers for hire are found at the [[House of the Red Hands]]. The best inns and brothels lie near the Purple Harbor or the Moon Pool. Nearer to the Ragman's Harbor, one can find the [[Inn of the Green Eel‎‎]], the [[Black Bargeman]], [[Moroggo's]], the [[Outcast Inn]], the [[House of Seven Lamps]] and a brothel called the [[Cattery]]. Beneath the second arch of Nabbo's Bridge lies the [[Foghouse]], a small, cramped, dirty establishment with barely enough space to fit ten people. Among other establishments are the [[the Ship|Mummer's Ship]] and the [[Happy Port]].{{Ref|aFfC|26}} There are eel fights in the Spotted Cellar, which lies near the gates to the Drowned Town.{{Ref|aFfC|34}}
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The existence of the city was a secret for a century.{{Ref|AFFC|34}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}} [[Arya Stark]] has been told that the city's location remained a secret for another two centuries,{{Ref|AFFC|34}} while Maester [[Yandel]] states that the city's location was revealed along with its existence by [[Sealord]] [[Uthero Zalyne]] during the [[Uncloaking of Uthero|Uncloaking (or Unmasking) of Uthero]] at the 111th festival celebrating the city's founding,{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}} though remained hidden for centuries.{{Ref|TWOIAF| Ancient History: Valyria's Children}} Settlements were paid to the descendants of the former masters of the escaped slaves to compensate for the ships that had been stolen, though the Braavosi refused to pay for the value of the slaves.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Braavos}}
  
Statues of former [[Sealord]]s stand along the main canal. They are mostly carved wearing long bronze robes, and hold various items in their hands, such as books, daggers, or hammers. One holds a golden star and another is upending a stone flagon from which fresh water flows.{{Ref|aFfC|6}}
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At the [[Bitterweed Bay]], the Sealord of Braavos sent the last great war fleet of the [[Kingdom of Sarnor]] to the bottom.{{Ref|TWOIAF| Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}
  
A broad waterway known as the Long Canal leads south to the fishmarket. Along the Long Canal sits the Hall of Truth, a building with green copper domes. The tall square towers of the Prestayns and the Antaryons also sit along the canal. After those towers, one must pass beneath the large grey aqueduct of the Sweetwater River that demarcates the beginning of the district known as the Silty Town. In the Salty Town, the buildings are smaller and less grand. The Long Canal is a main thoroughfare that is usually full of barge and serpent boat traffic.{{Ref|aFfC|34}}
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Ironborn King [[Harwyn Hoare]] has visited Braavos.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Iron Islands: The Black Blood}}
  
===Additional Description===
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===After the Doom===
[[File:braavos_tvseries.jpg|500px|thumb|right|Braavos and the [[Titan of Braavos]] in ''[[Game of Thrones]]'']]
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During the [[Century of Blood]] following the [[Doom of Valyria]], [[Volantis]] attempted to take control of Valyria's daughters. Volantis managed to take control over [[Myr]] and [[Lys]], but when they attempted to take [[Tyrosh]], they met with resistance. In the rebellion against Volantis, the Sealord of Braavos sent a hundred warships to the aid of Lys.{{Ref|TWOIAF| Ancient History: The Doom of Valyria}}{{Ref|ADWD|14}}
  
====Aqueducts====
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During [[Aegon's Conquest]], a dozen Braavosi warships to help the [[Kingdom of Mountain and Vale]] in battle against the Targaryens in the [[Gullet]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Conquest: The Reign of the Dragons}} Shortly after the Conquest, the [[North]] hired a Braavosi fleet; Queen [[Marla Sunderland]] was disposed off when the fleet came into sight, and her brother yielded peacefully.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Vale}}
The water from the lagoon is brackish and briny and the canal water is not drinkable without first boiling it.{{Ref|aFfC|6}} Towards or beyond the heart of the city, above the houses and canals there is an aqueduct -- a grey stone roadway supported by three tiers of arches traveling southwards. It looms above the canals and houses. Called the [[Sweetwater River]], it brings fresh water from the mainland across the mudflats and the briny shallows. Rich men pipe it directly into their homes, while commoners fill buckets at public fountains.
 
  
====Harbors====
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[[File:33535421eb0502f31ffc16c03620e017.jpg|thumb|300px|right|A ship enters Braavos - by Marc Simonetti]]
In the Braavosi lagoon there are a plethora of fish and shellfish which constitute the main diet of the Braavosi. Their islands are devoid of trees. Firewood is brought in by barge, while pines on the islands surrounding the city are left to act as windbreaks to protect the harbors, and are illegal to cut down.
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During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], Lady [[Laena Velaryon]] had been betrothed to the son of the [[Sealord of Braavos]]. Before the marriage could take place, the Sealord died, however, and his son had proven to be a wastrel and fool, who had spent all of his father's wealth and remained on [[Driftmark]] permanently. Lord [[Corlys Velaryon]] had repeatedly postponed the wedding, as he did not want it to continue, yet saw no way to gracefully rid himself of the man. Thus, they were betrothed for a decade, until Prince [[Daemon Velaryon]] in {{Date|115}} spoke privately with Lord Corlys about a marriage to Laena, provoked her betrothed until he demanded single combat, and then killed the Braavosi man.{{Ref|TRP}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I}} Braavos joined an alliance with [[Pentos]] and [[Lorath]] which helped bring down the [[Kingdom of the Three Daughters]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: The Quarrelsome Daughters: Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh}}
* [[Purple Harbor]], which serves only locals, is located on the north side of Braavos, beneath the domes and towers of the [[Sealord's Palace]].{{Ref|aFfC|34}}
 
* [[Ragman's Harbor]], which is open to all foreign ships, is located in the west. It is poorer, dirtier, and and noisier than the [[Purple Harbor]].{{Ref|aFfC|34}} Many people make their living around Ragman's Harbor, including porters, mummers, ropemakers, sailmenders, taverners, brewers, bakers, beggars, and whores.
 
* [[Chequy Port]] is where the Sealord's customs officers board merchant galleys to inspect their holds. The inspection can take as much as half a day.{{Ref|aFfC|6}}
 
  
====Isle of the Gods====
+
After Princess [[Naerys Targaryen]] almost died in labor in {{Date|161}}, her brother and husband, Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon Targaryen]] was sent on a diplomatic mission to Braavos. There he met [[Bellegere Otherys]], with whom he started an affair that would last for a decade and yield three children.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} Bellegere was the first [[Black Pearl of Braavos]], and her descendents have been Black Pearls until the present.{{fact}}
All gods are honored in Braavos.
 
* [[House of Black and White]], temple to the [[Many-Faced God]] and the headquarters of the [[Faceless Men]].
 
* [[Temple of the Moonsingers]] is the largest and most popular temple, built of white marble capped with a silvered dome and milk glass windows that show all the phases of the moon. A pair of marble maidens flanks its gates.
 
* The Temple of [[R'hllor]] is made of red stone. It has a great square tower with a fire in an iron brazier twenty feet across located atop it. Each door is flanked by a fire.
 
  
====Bridges====
+
Dornishman [[Michael Manwoody]] was sent to Braavos on several occasions, as to negotiate with the Iron Bank.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}
* A carved stone bridge decorated with half a hundred kinds of fish and crabs and squids
 
* A bridge carved with lacy leafy vines
 
* A painted bridge with a thousand painted eyes
 
  
====Canals====
+
In {{Date|276}}, King [[Aerys II Targaryen]] announced he was going to ''bring the Titan to its knees'' after a dispute with the Iron Bank. However, [[Tywin Lannister]], the [[Hand of the King]], settled the dispute by repaying the loans made by Aerys's father, King [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen|Jaehaerys II]], with his own money.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} After [[Robert's Rebellion]], the last two surviving children of the late King Aerys II Targaryen, [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]] and [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]] were taken to Braavos by Ser [[Willem Darry]] and four other loyal men, where they lived in a house with a red door.{{Ref|AGOT|3}} While they were staying there, Willem Darry signed a secret pact with Prince [[Oberyn Martell]] of [[Dorne]], betrothing [[Arianne Martell|the daughter]] of [[Doran Martell]], the [[Prince of Dorne]], to Viserys, in return for Dorne supporting Viserys' claim to the [[Iron Throne]].{{Ref|ADWD|43}} However, Darry got sick around {{Date|289}} and died soon after.{{Ref|AWOIAF| Daenerys Targaryen}} After his death, the servants stole the money they had left, and not too long after, Daenerys and Viserys were put out of the house, and began to wander the Free Cities.{{Ref|AGOT|3}} They would visit Braavos at least once more during later years.{{Ref|ASOS|8}}{{Ref|ASOS|23}}
* A great canal, of green-hued water, which runs through the heart of the city
 
* Lesser canals which link to the great canal
 
* Many smaller ones with tightly packed houses
 
  
==Weather==
+
[[Jorah Mormont]] once visited Braavos with his second wife, [[Lynesse Hightower]]. While there, he borrowed heavily from moneylenders from the city.{{Ref|ACOK|12}} When he was exiled from [[Westeros]] several years later, he wanted to return to Braavos, but as per his wife's request of a warmer location, he went to [[Lys]] instead, and as a sellsword, fought on the [[Rhoyne]] against the Braavosi.{{Ref|ADWD|27}} [[Allard Seaworth]] has a girl in Braavos.{{Ref|ADWD|5}}
The location of the city affects its weather. The weather mainly consists of fog, rain and freezing rain. On the occasion, it is clear and sunny.{{Ref|aFfC|34}}
 
  
==Culture==
+
The great-grandfather of [[Petyr Baelish]] was born in Braavos. He came to the [[Vale]] as a sellsword in hire of Lord [[House Corbray|Corbray]. His son, upon receiving knighthood, took the Titan of Braavos for his sigil.{{Ref|ASOS|68}} As Alayne Stone, [[Sansa Stark]] pretends that her late mother was a gentlewoman from Braavos, the daughter of a merchant prince.{{Ref|ASOS|68}}
[[File:Coin of Braavos.png|thumb|right|A [[coin]] of Braavos, as depicted by Nutchapol Thitinunthakorn in ''[[The World of Ice and Fire]]'']]
+
Braavos has a seafaring trade culture. Braavosi [[ships]] paint their hulls purple and their merchant ships sail to many distant lands and bring their trade and wealth back home.{{Ref|aFfC|6}} One hears of purple sails as far away as [[Asshai]] and the islands of the [[Jade Sea]].{{Ref|aDwD|6}}  
+
Over the past two centuries, Braavos had fought six wars against [[Pentos]], concerning the practise of slavery, and the lands located in between the two cities. Four of these wars were won by Braavos. The last war ended in {{Date|209}}, after [[Nevio Narratys]], [[Prince of Pentos]], convinced the magisters of Pentos to sue for peace, after winning a rare victory. In the peace accords, Pentos was forced by Braavos to make several concessions, including the termination of the practise of slavery in Pentos, and their withdrawal from the slave trade.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Free Cities: Pentos}}{{ref|ADWD|1}}
  
Braavos has many moneylenders and the [[Iron Bank of Braavos]] lends money to foreign nations, including the [[Seven Kingdoms]].{{Ref|aGoT|20}}  
+
==Recent Events==
 +
===''A Game of Thrones''===
 +
[[Eddard Stark]] learns that the Iron Throne loaned money from moneylenders out of Braavos.{{Ref|AGOT|20}}
 +
===''A Clash of Kings''===
 +
[[Stannis Baratheon]] plans to send letters to Braavos and the other Free Cities, announcing his claim to the Iron Throne, and telling them about [[Cersei Lannister]]'s infamy.{{Ref|ACOK|10}} A moneylender from Braavos arrives at the court of [[King's Landing]], asking to see King [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey I Baratheon]] about payments on some loans. He is send to [[Petyr Baelish]].{{Ref|ACOK|17}} In order to get her to [[Dorne]] safely, [[Myrcella Baratheon]] is to travel to Braavos from King's Landing, and from Braavos to Dorne.{{Ref|ACOK|41}} [[Arya Stark]] receives a coin from the [[Lorath|Lorathi]] [[Jaqen H'ghar]]. He tells her that, if she would ever wish to find him again, she has to give the coin to any man from Braavos, and tell him ''“valar morghulis”''.{{Ref|ACOK|47}} When [[Daenerys Targaryen]] is visiting the [[House of the Undying]] in [[Qarth]], one of the things she sees is Willem Darry and the house with the red door in Braavos.{{Ref|ACOK|48}}
 +
===''A Storm of Swords''===
 +
The Braavosi [[Mero]], also called the Titan's Bastard, is the commander of a sellsword company, the [[Second Sons]]. He has been hired by [[Yunkai]] when [[Daenerys Targaryen]] arrives at the city with her host. Daenerys invites Mero to meet with her, and they trade insults. Daenerys refuses to surrender and Mero refuses to switch sides.{{Ref|aSoS|42}} Mero flees during the [[Battle of Yunkai]] and hides in the gathered refugees that follow Daenerys to [[Meereen]], shaving his beard to disguise his appearance. When Daenerys rides through the refugee camps, Mero attempts to kill her but is stopped by [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] and torn apart by the freedmen in the camps.{{Ref|aSoS|57}}
 +
[[File:Cat of the canals by reneaigner.jpeg|250px|thumb|right|Cat of the Canals, by [http://reneaigner.deviantart.com/ Rene Aigner].]]
  
The city is also renowned worldwide for its [[courtesan]]s. Every courtesan has her own barge and servants to work them. The beauty of famed courtesans has inspired many a song. They are showered with gifts from goldsmiths and craftsmen beg for their custom. Nobility and rich merchants pay the courtesans large amounts of money to appear alongside them at events, and bravos are known to kill each other in their names.{{Ref|aFfC|34}}
+
[[Tyrion Lannister]] considers taking his wife, [[Sansa Stark]] to go see Braavos.{{Ref|ASOS|60}} When Sansa hides in the [[Vale]], she pretends to be Alayne Stone, the bastard daughter of [[Petyr Baelish]] by a Braavosi gentlewoman, a daughter of a merchant prince.{{Ref|ASOS|68}} Baelish claims to Sansa that he had found the dwarves [[Penny]] and [[Groat]] in Braavos.{{Ref|ASOS|61}} However, Penny herself states they had been contacted by Baelish's man in [[Pentos]].{{Ref|ADWD|33}}
  
Braavosi culture has created a unique form of sword fighting, called Water Dancing. The style is a refined form of fencing in which the practitioner stands sideways and wields a slender blade. Pugnacious [[bravos]] fill the city, frequently dueling to display their skill.  
+
[[Arya Stark]] boards the ship the ''[[Titan's Daughter]], and starts her journey to Braavos.{{Ref|ASOS|64}}
 +
===''A Feast for Crows''===
 +
[[Arya Stark]] arrives in Braavos.{{Ref|AFFC|6}} She joins the service of the [[Faceless Men]] at the [[House of Black and White]], where she begins her training.{{Ref|AFFC|6}}{{Ref|AFFC|22}}
  
Bravos dress in flambouyant colors, contrary to wealthy Braavosi, who "dressed in charcoal grey and purple, blues that were almost black and blacks as dark as a moonless night".{{Ref|aFfC|26}} Officials of Braavos, such as the keyholders of the Iron Bank and justiciars, wear drab coats of brown and grey.{{Ref|aFfC|34}}
+
[[Samwell Tarly]] is send to Braavos by Lord Commander [[Jon Snow]], together with [[Gilly]], [[Aemon Steelsong|Mance Rayder's son]], Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], and [[Dareon]]. They sail to Braavos on the ''[[Blackbird]]''.{{Ref|AFFC|15}}{{ref|AFFC|26}} They encounter storms on their way, however. Aemon falls ill during the journey, and is weak once they arrive in Braavos. They stay in Braavos for a while, and Dareon decides to desert the [[Night's Watch]], preferring to remain in Braavos instead. After crossing paths with [[Arya Stark|Cat]], Samwell meets [[Xhondo]] from the ''[[Cinnamon Wind]]'', and manages to get him, Aemon, Gilly and the babe passage to [[Oldtown]].{{Ref|AFFC|26}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}}{{Ref|AFFC|45}} [[Arya Stark|Cat]], later kills Dareon.{{Ref|AFFC|34}}
  
The anniversary of the [[Uncloaking of Uthero|Uncloaking]] is also celebrated every year with ten days of feasting and masked revelry, culminating in the midnight of the tenth day, when the Titan roars and tens of thousands of revelers and celebrants remove their masks at once.{{ref|TWOIAF| Braavos}}
+
[[Cersei Lannister]] decides to end all payments to the [[Iron Bank]] of Braavos until the war is over.{{Ref|AFFC|17}} She also receives a report that her brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] has beenspotted in Braavos, though she doesn't believe it to be true.{{Ref|AFFC|36}} The Iron Bank begins to refuse new loans, and starts demanding repayments on their outstanding debts.{{Ref|AFFC|36}}
  
There are several mummers' playhouses in Braavos, such as [[the Gate]], the [[the Blue Lantern]], the [[Dome]] and [[the Ship]]. Unlike the rest of the Free Cities, or Westeros, mummers can mock and ridicule authorities such as the Sealord openly during their plays without fear of reprisals, even if the Sealord himself is attending the play.{{ref|twow||[[Mercy (The Winds of Winter)|Mercy]]}}
+
===''A Dance with Dragons''===
 +
Believing he will soon be executed, Davos prepares a letter telling his wife to take their younger sons to Braavos.{{Ref|ADWD|29}}
  
 +
[[Tycho Nestoris]], an emissary from the Iron Bank, arrives at [[Castle Black]], where he agrees upon a loan with Lord Commander Jon Snow.{{Ref|ADWD|44}} He is later send on to [[Stannis Baratheon]].{{Ref|ADWD|62}}
 
==Chapters that take place at Braavos==
 
==Chapters that take place at Braavos==
 
*[[A Feast for Crows-Chapter 6|''A Feast for Crows'': 6. Arya I]]
 
*[[A Feast for Crows-Chapter 6|''A Feast for Crows'': 6. Arya I]]
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==Quotes==
 
==Quotes==
{{Quote|Braavos is the odd duck among the Nine Free Cities, but still more [[Valyrian]] than [[Andal]] in its origins.<ref>So Spake Martin: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Category/C91/P90/ Yet More Questions], July 22, 2001</ref>}} - [[George R. R. Martin]]
+
{{Quote|Braavos is the odd duck among the Nine Free Cities, but still more [[Valyrian]] than [[Andal]] in its origins.<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1250/ Yet More Questions (July 22, 2001)]</ref>}} - [[George R. R. Martin]]
  
  
Line 108: Line 126:
  
 
==References and Notes==
 
==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=}}
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{{references|2}}
  
 
{{Template:Region Free Cities}}
 
{{Template:Region Free Cities}}

Revision as of 20:29, 23 March 2016

Braavos
Free City
The Titan of Braavos - by zippo514
Location Free Cities, Essos
Government Sealord of Braavos
Religion Mixed religions
Notable places Titan of Braavos, Drowned Town,
House of Black and White,
Purple Harbor, Ragman's Harbor
Temple of the Moonsingers,
Patternmaker's Maze, Stones of the Silent God
Organizations Faceless Men, Iron Bank of Braavos, Moonsingers
Nine Free Cities on the continent of Essos:
Pentos, Braavos, Lys, Qohor, Norvos, Myr, Tyrosh, Volantis, Lorath

Braavos, known as Braavos of the Hundred Isles, the Secret City, is the wealthiest and likely the most powerful of the Free Cities, located in a lagoon on the northwestern end of Essos, where the narrow sea and the Shivering Sea meet.[1][2]

City

Braavos sprawls across a hundred islands in a vast lagoon.[3][4] The Volantenes are fond of boasting that the hundred isles of Braavos can be dropped and drowned in their own harbor.[5] It is the youngest, the wealthiest, and most likely the most powerful of the nine Free Cities.[2] The nearby mainland is mostly marshland, whilst the seaward sides of the city are protected by tall, mountainous islands which form a semi-circle around the city. Firewood is brought in by barge, while pines on the islands surrounding the city are left to act as windbreaks to protect the harbors, and are illegal to cut down.[6] There is a stretch of land to the south called the Braavosian Coastland that is claimed by Braavos.[7] The western coast of Lorath Bay is also under Braavosi control.[8] The Braavosi fleets dominate the seas northwest of Essos, protected by the warlords belonging to the Sealord.[9] To enter the lagoon in which Braavos is located, one must pass beneath the Titan of Braavos, a stone fortress in the shape of a huge warrior.[10][4] The Titan roars every dawn[11] and every sunset,[12] and appears to roar every hour as well,[13] as well as when a ship is approaching, as to warn the Arsenal.[10] It's roar can be heard across the city, faint, but capable of waking the sleeping city.[11] Just beyond the Titan the Arsenal is located - a vast shipyard, where a warship can be build in a day.[2][10]

The city is comprised of a hundred islands linked together by small stone bridges spanning the many canals throughout the city. The houses in the more humbler regions are tightly packed together, even over the canals.[13] One of the bigger canals is the Canal of Heroes, located closest to the Titan of Braavos and the Arsenal. The canal leads directly to the center of the city, where the Isle of Gods is located.[10][14] Multiple bridges cross the Long Canal, including a carved stone bridge decorated with half a hundred kinds of fish and crabs and squids, a bridge carved with lacy leafy vines, and a painted bridge with a thousand painted eyes.[10] Along both sides of the canal, a row of statues of deceased Sealords can be found. They are mostly carved wearing long bronze robes, and hold various items in their hands, such as books, daggers, or hammers. One holds a golden star and another is upending a stone flagon from which fresh water flows.[15][10] A second canal of note is the Green Canal, leading from the Palace of Truth to the east side of the lagoon.[14] Also of note is the Long Canal, the broadest of the three waterways, leading from the center of the city to the south of the lagoon, where a fishmarket is located.[14] The First Law of Braavos has been engraved in stone on an arch spanning this canal.[2] Along the Long Canal, the Palace of Truth can be found, as well as the tall square towers of the Prestayns (west-side) and Antaryons (east-side). South of these towers, the large grey aqueduct of the sweetwater river crosses the Long Canal, after the Silty Town is passed on the east side of the canal. Here, the houses are smaller, and less grand.[11]

There are no trees to be found within the city (except in the courts and gardens of the mighty[6]), making Braavos a flat city of stone architecture and granite monuments.[10] The streets are lined with houses made of grey stone, built so close that they lean upon one another. Some houses are built above waterways. They are usually slim buildings with peaked tile roofs, raised four to five stories tall.[10] Braavos has no walls.[10] The islands surrounding Braavos are covered with pines, which act as windbreaks, protecting the harbors. It is illegal to cut these trees down. Because of this, and the lack of wood in the remainder of the city, the price of firewood, which has to be brought in by barge, is high.[6]

As the water from the lagoon is brackish and briny and the canal water is not drinkable without first boiling it,[10] the Braavosi have build the sweetwater river to supply themselves with clean water. A grey stone roadway supported by three tiers of arches traveling from the south, looming above the canals and houses, it brings fresh water from the mainland across the mudflats and the briny shallows. Rich men pipe it directly into their homes, while commoners fill buckets at public fountains.[6] The sweetwater river ends at the Moon Pool.[11][2]

A second district of Braavos is called the Drowned Town. This is the eldest part of the city,[2] located in an area in the north-west of the city,[14] directly north of Ragman's Harbor,[2][16] where the town has fallen into the lagoon and only the domes and towers of the old buildings are visible above the surface of the water.[11] In the higher part of the half-submerged buildings, some of the poorer people still live.[2] The Spotted Cellar is located near the gates to the Drowned Town. There, eel fights are being held.[11] East of the Drowned Town, The Gate can be found,

Scattered throughout the city are small wharves and landings for the fishermen and ferries.[6] Some of the wharves are located below the Drowned Town.[17] Further, the city is served by three main harbors: the Cheque Port, located directly behind the Arsenal, where the ships arriving in Braavos have to submit to inspection by the Sealord's customs officers upon arrival in the city;[10] the Purple Harbor, located in the north of the city beneath the towers and domes of the Sealord's Palace, a harbor for Braavosi ships only;[6][18] and Ragman's Harbor,[6] also called the Outer Harbor,[13] located in the west of the city, where all foreign ships are allowed to dock. Ragman's is poorer, rougher, dirtier, and noisier than the Purple Harbor.[6][11]

All gods are honored in Braavos, and therefore, there are many temples and shrines to be found in the city. Most of the temples are located on the isle in the center of the city, known as the 'Isle of the Gods'.[10][14] Amongst them is the Temple of the Moonsingers, who led the original Braavosi refugees to the islands. Theirs is the biggest temple, built of white marble capped with a silvered dome, milk glass windows showing all the phases of the moon, and a pair of marble maidens flanks its gates. Other temples of note are the temple of the Father of Waters, which is rebuilt whenever he takes a new bride, the House of Black and White, where homage is done to the Many-Faced God, the temple of R'hllor, made of red stone, with a great square tower, and a sept for the Seven named the Sept-Beyond-the-Sea, where only Westerosi come to pray.[10][12] Other sites include the shrine of the Weeping Lady of Lys, the Gardens of Gelenei, the wooden hall of the Lord of Harmony, the house of the Great Shepherd, a three-turreted tower honoring Trios, the Stones of the Silent God, the Patternmaker's Maze, the temple of Aquan the Red Bull, and twin temples honoring Semosh and Selloso,[15] and the temple of the Cult of Starry Wisdom.[12] Even gods that have no more followers are honored in a temple called the Holy Refuge or, colloquially, the Warren.[10]

In autumn, Braavos generally knows three types of weather: fog, rain, and freezing rain. However, there are also days that are clear, crisp, and and bright.[11] Close to winter, the canals can have ice on them.[18]

The best inns, alehouses and brothels lie near the Purple Harbor or the Moon Pool.[6] At the latter, the bravos fight at night.[11] Healers for hire are found at the House of the Red Hands.[11] The Blue Lantern and the Dome, two mummers' playhouses, are located near the Purple Harbor.[14] Near Ragman's Harbor, one can find the Inn of the Green Eel‎‎, the Black Bargeman, Moroggo's, the Foghouse the Outcast Inn, the House of Seven Lamps, the Satin Palace, the Sailmender and the Cattery,[6][14][12] the Happy Port, across from the Mummer's Ship,[6][11][14] Pynto's,[12][14] and beneath the second arch of Nabbo's Bridge lies a winesink, a small, cramped, dirty establishment with barely enough space to fit ten people.[6][14]

People

By and large, Braavosi are a kind people,[12] great lovers of song.[19] Wealthy Braavosi dress in charcoal grey, purple, blues so dark that are almost black, and blacks as dark as moonlight. Bravos, in contrast, dress in flambouyant colors.[6] Instead of traveling by horse, the Braavosi use boats.[4]

Braavos is renowned worldwide for its courtesans. Every courtesan has her own barge and servants to work them. Songs are sung about them, and they are showered with gifts from goldsmiths and craftsmen beg for their custom.[11] Additionally, pugnacious bravos fill the city, frequently dueling to display their skill. Visibly wearing a sword at night means that you can be challenged to a fight, though the bravos do not bother anyone who does not wear a sword. Bravos are known to kill each other in the name of courtesans, and some take it as a challenge when another claims that another woman than the Nightingale is the most beautiful woman in the world.[6][17][11]

Braavosi culture has created a unique form of sword fighting, called the “water dance”. The style is a refined form of fencing in which the practitioner stands sideways and wields a slender blade.[20] The greatest of the bravos call themselves water dancers, and they always duel at night. They take their name from the costum of dueling on the Moon Pool, near the Sealord's Palace.[2]

The ruler of Braavos is called the Sealord of Braavos, who lives in his Palace located in the north-east of the city. The Sealord is chosen by the magisters and keyholders from Braavos, and serves for life. His personal guard is commanded by the First Sword of Braavos.[2][14] The exact position of the Third Sword[13] is not known. The Sealord is not followed by his heir, but instead, upon the death of one Sealord, a new one is chosen. Usually, that means the knives will come out. Tormo Fregar is believed by some to become the next Sealord of Braavos.[16]

Instead of making farces, Braavosi mummers play out written stories.[4] braavosi mummers can be found at the playhouses the Ship, the Gate, the Blue Lantern, and the Dome.[11][6][13]

The anniversary of the Uncloaking is celebrated anually. The masked feasts last for ten days, and culminate in the midnight of the tenth day, when the Titan roars and all of the celebrants remove their masks at the same time.[2]

Economy

A coin of Braavos, as depicted by Nutchapol Thitinunthakorn in The World of Ice and Fire

Braavos is the most powerful of the Free Cities, in part due to the wealth and influence of the Iron Bank.[21] The Iron Bank lends money to foreign nations, including the Seven Kingdoms.[22] Braavosi coins are square and made from iron.[15]

During the years when Braavos was as of yet undiscovered, the city prospered. The Braavosi discovered a sea snail similar to those that could be found at Tyrosh, and whose dyes had made the city famous. The snail found by the Braavosi yielded dark purple dye, which the Braavosi used to color the sails of the ships the founders had stolen from the Valyrians.[2] They paint their hulls purple too.[23] At first, Braavos began to trade with Ib, and later the Seven Kingdoms.[2]

Braavos has a seafaring trade culture. Much of the city's early wealth came from the brackish waters of the lagoon. These waters yielded oysters, eels, crabs, crawfish, clams, rays, and many sorts of fish. Braavosi ships paint their hulls purple and their merchant ships sail to many distant lands and bring their trade and wealth back home. One hears of purple sails as far away as Asshai and the islands of the Jade Sea. In the present, Braavos is one of the greatest ports of the world, where all but slavers are allowed to dock. Even ships from Qarth and the Summer Isles come to Braavos to trade.[2][10][5]

History

Origins

Unlike the other Free Cities, Braavos was never part of the Valyrian Freehold. The city was founded by escaped slaves, fleeing the grasp of the Valyrian Freehold. The slaves rebelled on their way from Valyria to a new colony in Sothoryos, took control of the ships, and turned north instead of south, travelling as far as they could. According to the histories of Braavos, it was a group of slave women from the lands of Jogos Nhai, the moonsingers, who predicted where shelter could be found. Thus, the slaves travelled to the distant lagoon, hidden away from sight of the dragonlords by the wall of hills covered with pine trees and the fog covering the lagoon.[2] The founders of Braavos had risked their lives for freedom, and swore a vow that no one in their city would ever be a slave, thrall, or bondsman. This vow became the First Law of Braavos, and is engraved on the arch spanning the Long Canal.[2]

The existence of the city was a secret for a century.[11][2] Arya Stark has been told that the city's location remained a secret for another two centuries,[11] while Maester Yandel states that the city's location was revealed along with its existence by Sealord Uthero Zalyne during the Uncloaking (or Unmasking) of Uthero at the 111th festival celebrating the city's founding,[2] though remained hidden for centuries.[24] Settlements were paid to the descendants of the former masters of the escaped slaves to compensate for the ships that had been stolen, though the Braavosi refused to pay for the value of the slaves.[2]

At the Bitterweed Bay, the Sealord of Braavos sent the last great war fleet of the Kingdom of Sarnor to the bottom.[9]

Ironborn King Harwyn Hoare has visited Braavos.[25]

After the Doom

During the Century of Blood following the Doom of Valyria, Volantis attempted to take control of Valyria's daughters. Volantis managed to take control over Myr and Lys, but when they attempted to take Tyrosh, they met with resistance. In the rebellion against Volantis, the Sealord of Braavos sent a hundred warships to the aid of Lys.[26][27]

During Aegon's Conquest, a dozen Braavosi warships to help the Kingdom of Mountain and Vale in battle against the Targaryens in the Gullet.[28] Shortly after the Conquest, the North hired a Braavosi fleet; Queen Marla Sunderland was disposed off when the fleet came into sight, and her brother yielded peacefully.[29]

A ship enters Braavos - by Marc Simonetti

During the reign of King Viserys I Targaryen, Lady Laena Velaryon had been betrothed to the son of the Sealord of Braavos. Before the marriage could take place, the Sealord died, however, and his son had proven to be a wastrel and fool, who had spent all of his father's wealth and remained on Driftmark permanently. Lord Corlys Velaryon had repeatedly postponed the wedding, as he did not want it to continue, yet saw no way to gracefully rid himself of the man. Thus, they were betrothed for a decade, until Prince Daemon Velaryon in 115 AC spoke privately with Lord Corlys about a marriage to Laena, provoked her betrothed until he demanded single combat, and then killed the Braavosi man.[30][31] Braavos joined an alliance with Pentos and Lorath which helped bring down the Kingdom of the Three Daughters.[32]

After Princess Naerys Targaryen almost died in labor in 161 AC, her brother and husband, Prince Aegon Targaryen was sent on a diplomatic mission to Braavos. There he met Bellegere Otherys, with whom he started an affair that would last for a decade and yield three children.[33] Bellegere was the first Black Pearl of Braavos, and her descendents have been Black Pearls until the present.[citation needed]

Dornishman Michael Manwoody was sent to Braavos on several occasions, as to negotiate with the Iron Bank.[34]

In 276 AC, King Aerys II Targaryen announced he was going to bring the Titan to its knees after a dispute with the Iron Bank. However, Tywin Lannister, the Hand of the King, settled the dispute by repaying the loans made by Aerys's father, King Jaehaerys II, with his own money.[35] After Robert's Rebellion, the last two surviving children of the late King Aerys II Targaryen, Viserys and Daenerys were taken to Braavos by Ser Willem Darry and four other loyal men, where they lived in a house with a red door.[36] While they were staying there, Willem Darry signed a secret pact with Prince Oberyn Martell of Dorne, betrothing the daughter of Doran Martell, the Prince of Dorne, to Viserys, in return for Dorne supporting Viserys' claim to the Iron Throne.[37] However, Darry got sick around 289 AC and died soon after.[38] After his death, the servants stole the money they had left, and not too long after, Daenerys and Viserys were put out of the house, and began to wander the Free Cities.[36] They would visit Braavos at least once more during later years.[39][40]

Jorah Mormont once visited Braavos with his second wife, Lynesse Hightower. While there, he borrowed heavily from moneylenders from the city.[41] When he was exiled from Westeros several years later, he wanted to return to Braavos, but as per his wife's request of a warmer location, he went to Lys instead, and as a sellsword, fought on the Rhoyne against the Braavosi.[42] Allard Seaworth has a girl in Braavos.[43]

The great-grandfather of Petyr Baelish was born in Braavos. He came to the Vale as a sellsword in hire of Lord [[House Corbray|Corbray]. His son, upon receiving knighthood, took the Titan of Braavos for his sigil.[44] As Alayne Stone, Sansa Stark pretends that her late mother was a gentlewoman from Braavos, the daughter of a merchant prince.[44]

Over the past two centuries, Braavos had fought six wars against Pentos, concerning the practise of slavery, and the lands located in between the two cities. Four of these wars were won by Braavos. The last war ended in 209 AC, after Nevio Narratys, Prince of Pentos, convinced the magisters of Pentos to sue for peace, after winning a rare victory. In the peace accords, Pentos was forced by Braavos to make several concessions, including the termination of the practise of slavery in Pentos, and their withdrawal from the slave trade.[45][46]

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Eddard Stark learns that the Iron Throne loaned money from moneylenders out of Braavos.[22]

A Clash of Kings

Stannis Baratheon plans to send letters to Braavos and the other Free Cities, announcing his claim to the Iron Throne, and telling them about Cersei Lannister's infamy.[47] A moneylender from Braavos arrives at the court of King's Landing, asking to see King Joffrey I Baratheon about payments on some loans. He is send to Petyr Baelish.[48] In order to get her to Dorne safely, Myrcella Baratheon is to travel to Braavos from King's Landing, and from Braavos to Dorne.[1] Arya Stark receives a coin from the Lorathi Jaqen H'ghar. He tells her that, if she would ever wish to find him again, she has to give the coin to any man from Braavos, and tell him “valar morghulis”.[49] When Daenerys Targaryen is visiting the House of the Undying in Qarth, one of the things she sees is Willem Darry and the house with the red door in Braavos.[50]

A Storm of Swords

The Braavosi Mero, also called the Titan's Bastard, is the commander of a sellsword company, the Second Sons. He has been hired by Yunkai when Daenerys Targaryen arrives at the city with her host. Daenerys invites Mero to meet with her, and they trade insults. Daenerys refuses to surrender and Mero refuses to switch sides.[51] Mero flees during the Battle of Yunkai and hides in the gathered refugees that follow Daenerys to Meereen, shaving his beard to disguise his appearance. When Daenerys rides through the refugee camps, Mero attempts to kill her but is stopped by Arstan Whitebeard and torn apart by the freedmen in the camps.[52]

Cat of the Canals, by Rene Aigner.

Tyrion Lannister considers taking his wife, Sansa Stark to go see Braavos.[53] When Sansa hides in the Vale, she pretends to be Alayne Stone, the bastard daughter of Petyr Baelish by a Braavosi gentlewoman, a daughter of a merchant prince.[44] Baelish claims to Sansa that he had found the dwarves Penny and Groat in Braavos.[54] However, Penny herself states they had been contacted by Baelish's man in Pentos.[55]

Arya Stark boards the ship the Titan's Daughter, and starts her journey to Braavos.[56]

A Feast for Crows

Arya Stark arrives in Braavos.[10] She joins the service of the Faceless Men at the House of Black and White, where she begins her training.[10][17]

Samwell Tarly is send to Braavos by Lord Commander Jon Snow, together with Gilly, Mance Rayder's son, Maester Aemon, and Dareon. They sail to Braavos on the Blackbird.[4][6] They encounter storms on their way, however. Aemon falls ill during the journey, and is weak once they arrive in Braavos. They stay in Braavos for a while, and Dareon decides to desert the Night's Watch, preferring to remain in Braavos instead. After crossing paths with Cat, Samwell meets Xhondo from the Cinnamon Wind, and manages to get him, Aemon, Gilly and the babe passage to Oldtown.[6][57][16] Cat, later kills Dareon.[11]

Cersei Lannister decides to end all payments to the Iron Bank of Braavos until the war is over.[58] She also receives a report that her brother Tyrion has beenspotted in Braavos, though she doesn't believe it to be true.[59] The Iron Bank begins to refuse new loans, and starts demanding repayments on their outstanding debts.[59]

A Dance with Dragons

Believing he will soon be executed, Davos prepares a letter telling his wife to take their younger sons to Braavos.[60]

Tycho Nestoris, an emissary from the Iron Bank, arrives at Castle Black, where he agrees upon a loan with Lord Commander Jon Snow.[18] He is later send on to Stannis Baratheon.[61]

Chapters that take place at Braavos

Quotes

Braavos is the odd duck among the Nine Free Cities, but still more Valyrian than Andal in its origins.[62]

- George R. R. Martin


We Braavosi are descended from those who fled Valyria and the wroth of its dragonlords. We do not jape of dragons.[18]

- Tycho Nestoris, to Jon Snow

References and Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 41, Tyrion IX.
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: Braavos.
  3. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 41, Jon V.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 15, Samwell II.
  5. 5.0 5.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 6, The Merchant's Man.
  6. 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 26, Samwell III.
  7. A Dance with Dragons, Map of the Free Cities
  8. The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: Lorath.
  9. 9.0 9.1 The World of Ice & Fire, Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea.
  10. 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 10.15 10.16 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 6, Arya I.
  11. 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 11.13 11.14 11.15 11.16 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 34, Cat Of The Canals.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 45, The Blind Girl.
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 The Winds of Winter, Mercy
  14. 14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 The Lands of Ice and Fire, Braavos.
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 64, The Ugly Little Girl.
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 45, Samwell V.
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 22, Arya II.
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 44, Jon IX.
  19. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 32, Tyrion IV.
  20. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 22, Arya II.
  21. George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Braavos.
  22. 22.0 22.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 20, Eddard IV.
  23. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 11, Daenerys II.
  24. The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: Valyria's Children.
  25. The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands: The Black Blood.
  26. The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: The Doom of Valyria.
  27. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 14, Tyrion IV.
  28. The World of Ice & Fire, The Conquest: The Reign of the Dragons.
  29. The World of Ice & Fire, The Vale.
  30. The Rogue Prince.
  31. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I.
  32. The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: The Quarrelsome Daughters: Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh.
  33. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV.
  34. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I.
  35. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II.
  36. 36.0 36.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 3, Daenerys I.
  37. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 43, Daenerys VII.
  38. George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Daenerys Targaryen.
  39. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 8, Daenerys I.
  40. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 23, Daenerys II.
  41. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 12, Daenerys I.
  42. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 27, Tyrion VII.
  43. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 5, Tyrion II.
  44. 44.0 44.1 44.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 68, Sansa VI.
  45. The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: Pentos.
  46. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 1, Tyrion I.
  47. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 10, Davos I.
  48. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 17, Tyrion IV.
  49. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 47, Arya IX.
  50. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 48, Daenerys IV.
  51. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 42, Daenerys IV.
  52. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 57, Daenerys V.
  53. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 60, Tyrion VIII.
  54. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 61, Sansa V.
  55. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 33, Tyrion VIII.
  56. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 64, Jon VIII.
  57. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 35, Samwell IV.
  58. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 17, Cersei IV.
  59. 59.0 59.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 36, Cersei VIII.
  60. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 29, Davos IV.
  61. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 62, The Sacrifice.
  62. So Spake Martin: Yet More Questions (July 22, 2001)