The Conquest of the Stepstones

Lord Corlys Velaryon’s death would be one with many consequences for the people of Westeros. Specifically, on the life trajectory of one man in particular; one man that would affect history as we know it. Alyn Velaryon. While Alyn had once been meant to inherit Driftmark from his grandfather, he was now on a different path. With his brother deemed a traitor by the Queen, and the only man that meant to defend his rights dead, Alyn knew he would be next on the long list of those to face execution. Alyn was not a man to die meekly though. Having already served as their admiral during Corlys’ imprisonment, Alyn already held the loyalty of his captains. He convinced them to join him rather than Ser Daeron Velaryon and disappeared from Blackwater Bay in the middle of the night following Corlys' death.

Sanctuary
The Velaryon fleet sailed swiftly south, wanting to avoid any ships from the Vale that might still be hanging around to chase him down. He instead set his sights to the south, to Dorne. The Princess of Dorne welcomed him to Sunspear with open arms, and the filched Velaryon fleet lay in Dornish waters for some time. Aliandra Martell and Alyn Velaryon’s affections for each other were well known, and soon the ruler of Dorne grew heavy with child. The boy was born, and there was no mistaking the silver hair of his father upon his scalp. Knowing the pains of bastardy, and wanting more for his child, Alyn resolved to legitimize the boy. Not by begging the Black Queen, or returning his fleet to his cousins. Alyn decided he would be his own monarch, and his son would follow him as King of the Stepstones.

The Duel for Highwatch
With the combined forces of Princess Aliandra and Alyn himself, the king claimant would land on the island of Pryr one year after his appearance at Sunspear. The men of Pryr were not particularly martial in nature, more the descendants of sailors and merchants than warriors. At the sight of Alyn’s much larger fleet, they quickly dipped their banners and forsook their previous king, joining Alyn’s conquest.

They would move south, to the medium sized island of Highwatch, and its outpost of the same name. The Pirate Lord that called the island his home, Ferriko Balare, was a proud man, and not likely to give up Racallio quite so quick as the men of Pryr. What he respected more than gold or diamonds though, was strength, and that was something Alyn could work with. The terms they decided upon, odd as they were, was a fist-fight between the two men, with no armor or blades to get in their way. If Alyn could defeat Ferriko and force him to yield, the Pirate Lord would swear his ships to him. The sky was clear as crystal when the two met outside of Balare’s ringfort. The Essosi surprised Alyn with his queer fighting techniques and abnormal speed for his size. Still, with the rough upbringing of Alyn’s youth and the training he had received during his time at war, he bested the corsair and brought the man to heel, winning another island for his cause.

The Sack of Scarwood
After Highwatch came the forested island of Scarwood, one of the precious few Stepstones capable of supporting vegetation. Alyn would need the location if his kingdom was ever truly meant to be self sufficient. Unfortunately for him, Racallio had been smart about Scarwood. The island wasn’t left to some Pirate Lord or Corsair Prince, he’d garrisoned it with hardened Tyroshi captains with a few squadrons of ships at their command, each veterans from their taking of the Stepstones. A fist-fight would not take this island, that much was certain. The Velaryon fleet waited until nightfall, then they made their move. Before the Tyroshi could even sound an alarm, the Westerosi were upon them, capturing galleys where they could and scuttling those they couldn’t. The marines of Driftmark were pressed into combat with the skeleton crews that manned the ships, and they swiftly came out as victors. The Tyroshi’s outposts were put to the torch, until they finally raised the white flag of surrender, and the soldiers of Alyn Velaryon celebrated a hard fought victory.

As Scarwood fell, Alyn moved on to Guardian and Golden Haven, the two islands considered practically a pair due to their close proximity. The pirates on Guardian threw down their weapons without even putting up a fight, unaware of Alyn’s plans to conquer the Stepstones. The smugglers of Golden Haven received early warning though, and prepared their fleet for combat. A brief struggle ensued, where Captain Jensen Galine was slain by Sorren Sand, a sworn sword of the king provided by Princess Aliandra. Following their leader's death, the rest of the smugglers quickly surrendered to Alyn before taking further losses.

The Corsair King's Folly
Having gathered as many islands as he had, Alyn prepared to reach for the prize jewel. There was only one obstacle in his way. Grey Gallows. The Corsair King Jack Waters held a sizable fleet near his fortified keep, Gallowstown, and he was a vicious opportunist. Alyn had been warned by his allies from Pryr and Highwatch that the man was not to be trusted, even if he turned his cloak. So the Velaryon resolved to do battle, and pull the deceit from Grey Gallows, root and stem. There was only one caveat, he would have to capture or destroy every ship in the pirate king’s fleet, or else Racallio could mount a real defense at Bloodstone. With his goals set and his captains informed, Alyn surrounded the port of the island and attacked.

The battle raged for hours, with hulls splitting from rams and dozens of men falling prey to cold steel or the even colder waves. None could say Jack embarrassed himself, commanding his smaller fleet against the greater odds of King Alyn. He was no tactical genius either though, and attempted to meet the seahorse in single combat. His flagship, the Orange Maiden, made for Alyn’s flagship. Unfortunately for the pirate, he was rammed on both sides from two Velaryon ships, and his hopes died with him. When the dust settled and the battle was over, Alyn celebrated a decisive victory, but he also acknowledged his failure. A scouting ship had snuck past his lines during the clash. Ryndoon would know of his approach.

The Battle of Bloodstone
They met a week later upon the waves of Bloodstone. The Pirate Kings agreed to parlay before their inevitable conflict, and Racallio presented himself to Alyn Velaryon. The exact words that they spoke are lost to history, but it is said that they both left with a great respect for the other seafarer. The stories even claim that the Tyroshi had wept at his departure, panged with the thought of killing a man he would rather have befriended. Despite their rumored admiration for each other, their forces would still meet in bloody battle, and neither side would pull punches. Alyn’s vessels took an early lead, with their superior arms and training leading the less experienced pirates in their section. The Velaryons were shaken following the defection of Moredo Ollo, the man that commanded the smugglers from the island of Guardian. Even after the man turned his cloak though, Alyn still held the advantage.

In a bid to end the battle quickly, the seahorse made for Racallio’s flagship, ramming it and preparing to board. The crews of the two ships fought tooth and nail for their captains, but everything seemed to stop when Ryndoon and Velaryon met in combat. Alyn was clad in his steel armor, wielding an axe in one hand and a longsword in the other. Racallio wore a mismatching of silks and shoddy mail, with portions of scale to complete the amalgamation of protection. His greatest prize rested in his hands, twin daggers that rippled and swirled like the waves. Valyrian steel.

The man of Essos had some distinct advantages over his opponent. Sheer size, for one, and his twin daggers for another. But Alyn couldn’t be discounted either. Strong and quick, and with a true driving force, the Velaryon refused to yield to his foe. The two battled it out on the deck of Racallio’s ship, and at the end of the duel Alyn emerged bloodied and bruised, clutching two priceless weapons to show for it. He named them Loyalty and Brotherhood, for Addam, who had only ever wanted to serve his Queen.

Aftermath
With the death of the Pirate King, his forces’ will to fight quickly melted. Some fought on for his memory, but many and more yielded their ships and swords to the new invader. A crown was fashioned from the metals found on Pryr, and Alyn took his place as the first Velaryon King of the Stepstones in 132 AC.