Editing Stepstones (section)

==History==
===Antiquity===
According to legend, the Stepstones are remnants of the [[Arm of Dorne]], a land-bridge which once linked [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]]. More than ten thousand years ago the [[First Men]] used that land-bridge to cross into what is now known as [[Dorne]] to begin their migration to Westeros.{{Ref|TWOIAF|Dorne}} During the [[Breaking]], the [[greenseer]]s of the [[children of the forest]] are said to have used [[magic]] to shatter the land-bridge into an archipelago named the Stepstones, located between the [[Broken Arm]] and the [[Disputed Lands]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|Dorne: The Breaking}} Instead of a magical cause, Archmaester [[Cassander]] suggested the islands came about from a slow rising of the seas, which he called the [[Song of the Sea]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|Dorne: The Breaking}}

The [[Freehold of Valyria]] established [[Tyrosh]] as a military outpost to control trade near the Stepstones.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Free Cities: The Quarrelsome Daughters: Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh}}

[[Slavery|Slavers]] from the Stepstones captured the [[Wolf's Den]] at the mouth of the [[White Knife]] during the reign of King [[Edrick Stark]],{{Ref|ADWD|29}} and pirates from the isles also sometimes attacked the eastern [[riverlands]]{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Riverlands}} and [[Vale of Arryn]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Vale: House Arryn}} Some of the [[ten thousand ships]] of the [[Rhoynar]] were shipwrecked on the Stepstones during their migration from the [[Rhoyne]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships}}

As the mainland kingdoms of Westeros grew more powerful, [[ironborn]] from the [[Iron Islands]] began instead raiding more distant lands like the Stepstones and the [[Basilisk Isles]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands: The Black Blood}}

===Disputed Territory===
Whatever control the Valyrians may have once exerted over the Stepstones collapsed with the [[Doom of Valyria]] and the subsequent [[Century of Blood]]. [[Myr]], [[Lys]], and [[Tyrosh]] have constantly fought each other.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Free Cities: The Quarrelsome Daughters: Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh}}. The [[Seven Kingdoms]] have fought for control over some or all of the islands, but these gains were always temporary.<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [https://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Invasions_of_the_East_and_Rebellions Invasions of the East and Rebellions] (June 19, 2000)</ref>

Pirates attacked [[Cape Wrath]] during [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest}} In {{Date|8}} during the [[First Dornish War]], raiders from [[Dorne]] also attacked Cape Wrath with the aid of a pirate king from the Stepstones.{{Ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragons - The Wars of King Aegon I}} In {{Date|29}} and in {{Date|30}}, Prince [[Maegor I Targaryen|Maegor Targaryen]], Lord [[Aethan Velaryon]], and Ser [[Osmund Strong]] led a punitive campaign to the Stepstones to drive out corsairs led by the pirate-lord [[Sargoso Saan]].{{Ref|FAB|The Sons of the Dragon}} Pirates from the Stepstones participated in the ill-fated [[Fourth Dornish War]] in {{Date|83}}, in which their entire combined fleet was burned in a single day by the Targaryen dragons. Afterwards the pirates of the Stepstones were less troublesome for some time.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Alysanne and Jaehaerys - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}}

The losing faction of the [[Myrish Bloodbath]] settled on the Stepstones in {{date|92}}, and became little more than pirates themselves. They were soon driven out, however, by the [[Archon of Tyrosh]], who had made common cause with a league of pirate kings. The Myrish pirates fled west to briefly seize the east coast of [[Tarth]], before being routed by the Targaryens.{{Ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Alysanne and Jaehaerys - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} 

===The Triarchy and Daemon===
[[File:The King of the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea by Jota Saraiva.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Corlys Velaryon]] crowning [[Daemon Targaryen]] as [[King of the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea]], by Jota Saraiva ©]]
After defeating [[Volantis]] in {{Date|96}}, the [[Triarchy]] of Lys, Myr, and Tyrosh invaded the Stepstones to subdue outlaws and pirates living in the islands. [[Craghas Drahar]] staked out hundreds of pirates to drown, and the Triarchy annexed the Stepstones into their realm. While the Seven Kingdoms were appreciative at first of the Triarchy ending the threat of pirates, they came to resent the high tolls imposed by the [[Free Cities]] on trade in the [[narrow sea]], as well as the Lysene practice of claiming [[slaves]] for their [[pleasure gardens]].{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} 

Aided by Lord [[Corlys Velaryon]], Prince [[Daemon Targaryen]] began a private [[war for the Stepstones]] in {{Date|106}}, and he proclaimed himself [[King of the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea]] in {{Date|109}}. The Triarchy rallied by {{Date|111}}, however, allying with [[Qoren Martell]], [[Prince of Dorne]], who was wary of the Targaryens expanding into the Stepstones. Led by [[Racallio Ryndoon]], their combined forces helped turn back the tide of Daemon's conquests, and he struggled to defend his holdings.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}} 

Daemon was called back from the isles by the death of his wife [[Rhea Royce]] in {{Date|115}}, and he abandoned the Stepstones after becoming embroiling in other political intrigues in King's Landing. Five other men followed him as Kings of the Narrow Sea.{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}

===Daughters' War===
During the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Ser [[Otto Hightower]] offered to cede the Stepstones to the Triarchy if they were to fight the [[Velaryon fleet]], although the [[Iron Throne]] did not have control over the islands.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}}

[[Sharako Lohar]] led the Triarchy's fleet from the Stepstones in the [[Battle of the Gullet]] in early {{Date|130}}.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} The Triarchy's disastrous losses in the battle led to the [[Daughters' War]] in {{Date|131}}. When Lys and Myr began fighting after Sharako's death, Tyrosh sent [[Racallio Ryndoon]] to conquer the Stepstones. After killing the [[King of the Narrow Sea]], Racallio claimed that title for himself, however.{{Ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}

During the [[regency of Aegon III]], Lord [[Unwin Peake]], the [[Hand of the King]], desired to establish a [[Westeros]]i presence on [[Bloodstone]]. Meanwhile, the [[Sealord of Braavos]], the [[Archon of Tyrosh]], and Racallio agreed to jointly rule the islands. Lord [[Alyn Velaryon]] received the nickname "Oakenfist" after defeating a [[Braavos]]i fleet in the islands, but [[Lord Alyn's attack|Alyn's hasty attack]] prevented Ser [[Gedmund Peake]] from landing troops. Lord [[Manfryd Mooton]] agreed to a large indemnity to avoid war between Braavos and the Seven Kingdoms, and the Sealord agreed to cede the Stepstones to the [[Iron Throne]]. The islands were already occupied by Racallio and [[Pentos]]hi, however.{{Ref|FAB|Under the Regents - War and Peace and Cattle Shows}}

Racallio kept Lord Alyn at his wooden fortress on Bloodstone for more than a fortnight when the Oakenfist was sailing to confront Lord [[Dalton Greyjoy]].{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Voyage of Alyn Oakenfist}} After Racallio eventually fled to the [[Basilisk Isles]], the Daughters' War ended in {{date|134}} with most of the Stepstones under the dominion of Dorne. [[Aliandra Martell]], [[Princess of Dorne]], granted the title [[Lord of the Stepstones]] to her consort, [[Drazenko Rogare]].{{Ref|FAB|The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency}}

===Recent History===
It is unclear what happened to the Stepstones between 135 AC and 258 AC, such as whether the Martells still held them by 157 AC during the [[Conquest of Dorne]] by Daeron I, or if Dorne still retained them after the conquest collapsed in 161 AC.

[[File:Ninepenny.png|thumb|350px|Ser [[Barristan Selmy]] and [[Maelys I Blackfyre|Maelys the Monstrous]] locked in combat, by José Daniel Cabrera Peña for ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]''.]]
In {{date|258}} an alliance of pirates, mercenaries, and outcasts known as the [[Band of Nine]] overran the Disputed Lands, sacked [[Tyrosh]], and then conquered the Stepstones with ease. With these territories as a powerbase they began planning an invasion of Westeros to put the [[Blackfyre Pretenders]] on the throne. The Targaryens became aware of their buildup, however, and under King [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen]] pre-emptively invaded the Stepstones themselves in the [[War of the Ninepenny Kings]] (alternatively known as the Fifth Blackfyre Rebellion). In the climactic battle [[Barristan Selmy]] slew [[Maelys I Blackfyre]] in personal combat, ending the Blackfyre threat.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}

The Iron Throne apparently did not retain control of the Stepstones after the war. Jaehaerys II was soon succeeded by his son [[Aerys II Targaryen]]: one of the many increasingly insane schemes Aerys II proposed was a conquest of the Stepstones, but like his other follies it never amounted to any serious attempt.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}}

The Stepstones and [[Basilisk Isles]] have often been raided by [[ironborn]] reavers and sellsails from the [[Iron Islands]], such as [[Harwyn Hoare]]{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands: The Black Blood}} and [[Dalton Greyjoy]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands: The Red Kraken}} When he was fifteen, [[Balon Greyjoy]] spent a summer reaving in the Stepstones with [[Dagmer Cleftjaw]], killing his first man and taking his first two [[salt wives]] in the islands.{{Ref|AFFC|1}} [[Asha Greyjoy]] was away fighting Lysene pirates in the Stepstones when Balon, [[Lord Reaper of Pyke]], exiled [[Euron Greyjoy]] from the Iron Islands.{{Ref|AFFC|18}}