Editing Stepstones (section)

===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}}