The War of the Stepstones

The reign of Alyn II Velaryon is remembered as many things. Tumultuous, for one, violent, for another. Most often it is known for the ruination of the kingdom carved out by the Riptide. Multiple rebellions had left the control of the Velaryon dynasty tenuous at best. The Sandstone Rebellion had ended in a Velaryon victory, but it had weakened the image of the Seahorse. Addam spent the rest of his reign ending upstart Pirate Lords and Corsair Kings, and after his death following the Goldwater Uprising his already broken kingdom passed to his brother Alyn.

Unlike Addam, Alyn II Velaryon was not a charismatic ruler. Wrothful, selfish, and easily manipulated, many of the members of his court lived in fear of him everyday, while the others sought ways to exploit his vices for their own gain. His one redeeming trait was his skill at arms, how he could defeat any man with his twin Valyrian steel daggers, Loyalty and Brotherhood. But all of the martial ability in the world could not save the King of the Stepstones from the reckoning that came his way.

The Dragon's Arrival
Jaehaerys II Targaryen was a man that many had a right to fear. He was skilled with sword and lance and took threats against him and the Crown he wore seriously. He was eager to prove his might, and he would not be cowed. The increase in piracy in the Stepstones finally gave him the cause to act against the traitorous Velaryons that had carved out an existence where the Rogue Prince had first done. He gathered his naval strength from the Crownlands, Stormlands, and the Vale and prepared for war. Many men joined up to take part in the expedition to claim their glory in the Stepstones and to take the famed daggers of Alyn for their own.

Jaehaerys arrived at Pryr, and the Merchant Prince ruling the island looked to surrender his ships. Unlike Alyn I that had arrived so many years ago though, the Targaryens came not to conquer, merely to destroy. The Merchant Prince of Pryr was forced to do battle with his hugely outnumbered fleet, and his ships were almost destroyed to the last. The men of Highwatch, ever the steadfast allies of the Velaryons, quickly dispatched ships to warn King Alyn of the incoming force, the rest of their fleet moving south to Scarwood. Alyn, despite his many issues, would not risk an open conflict with the royal fleet, at least not without the ships of his vassals. He fled Bloodstone with his son and all of his ships, leaving the island with a garrison of less than 50 men.

Request for Aid
Amassing at Scarwood, Alyn sent ships to each of the islands under his control and prayed that they answered his call. The pirates of Grey Gallows did not forsake their kin. Alyn would also receive reinforcements from Guardian, Felstrong, Tor, and surprisingly The Veiled Isle, lead by Nymor Sand, the son of Edric. With his band of loyalists, Alyn readied the island of Scarwood for battle, shoring up defenses in its many ringforts and putting the sailors on high alert.

The Battle off Scarwood
When Jaehaerys had reorganized his forces and moved to locate his adversary, he was met readily by Alyn’s ships. The pirates of Guardian made up the brunt of Alyn’s vanguard, where they smashed into the fleet of the dragon and weakened his approach. The fore of the fleet was commanded by Lord Grafton who was caught flatfooted by the unorganized tactics of the pirates, but managed to hold his formation together. The main goal of the pirates was to find the dragon king and report his location to the main force, where Alyn might react accordingly. They succeeded in their mission, finding Jaehaerys commanding in the center, though many of the corsairs from Guardian perished in the attempt.

While Nymor smashed hulls and sails in the left flank against Lord Celtigar and Liandro Balare struggled to hold the right together under the vicious attack by Lord Estermont, Alyn made a daring push down the middle of the Targaryen forces, sinking Lord Sunglass' flagship and cutting a path to Jaehaerys' ship. Their flagships came together in the middle of the battlefield, rocking the marines on both vessels. Steel was drawn and gangplanks dropped, and suddenly the two ships were locked in combat. Unwilling to give an inch of ground, the corsairs and marines fought a bloody stalemate attempting to board the opposing ship. Alyn himself was the one to turn the tide, cutting down Targaryen soldiers as though it were a warm up to him. His soldiers surged in after him, and the tide seemed to turn in the favor of the Velaryons. While levies clad in red and black clashes with smugglers and pirates in sea green, Alyn faced off with two White Cloaks of the Kingsguard, Jaehaerys’ sworn swords.

The Duel of the Bloody Cloaks
Ser Ronnel Ferren was the first to approach the King of the Stepstones, boldly wielding his greatsword in defiance. The duel between the two would prove to be a dance of strength and speed, as Ronnel strained to get a clean strike on Alyn while the man evaded him with every parry and blow. The knight tired over the course of the battle, and a slash to the throat stained his white armor red, ending the tenure of the ferret knight.

Ser Brynden Corbray was the next warrior to step to the seahorse king, brandishing his famous blade and oaken shield. Lady Forlorn clanged against the twin daggers Loyalty and Brotherhood, creating a chorus of steel that drew every look on the field of battle. Their duel was one of grace, both combatants trading blow after blow with their ancient dragonforged weapons. Neither warrior could gain the upper hand, with Brynden’s shield tying up one dagger while his longsword met the other. As the duel went on Corbray’s protection was splintered and shattered, until he shook off the remains of his shield and faced Alyn’s blades head on. With both of his daggers freed up, Alyn finally pushed an advantage, slashing away at mail and plate. A gruesome wound to the torso pushed Brynden out of the fight, and although he did not die he was dragged away by the soldiers of the king.

The Seahorse Falls
Jaehaerys, seeing his two white shadows turned to white shades, drew Blackfyre from its sheath, and moved to meet Alyn in single combat. Alyn was undoubtedly the better duelist of the two, but taking on two knights of the Kingsguard was no simple feat, and the seahorse was tired for it. The clamor of Valyrian steel broke out once more, but Alyn’s daggers were sluggish to meet the fresh strikes of the Targaryen King. A number of blunders from Alyn saw the seahorse begin to bleed, and a strike to the helmet cleaved through his armor. Jaehaerys sustained a number of injuries himself, and as their soldiers swarmed in to separate the two, he was unable to retrieve the daggers of the Velaryon king. Around them the battle still raged at large, and though Nymor Sand broke the royal left, the fleets of the Stepstones took terrible casualties in the van and right.

Aftermath
Upon Alyn’s death, many of his ships routed, and any hopes of winning the battle died. Though Jaehaerys had won, he was wounded and many of his men had fallen in the battles. The Royal Fleet sailed away, considering the death of Alyn II a victory over the Stepstones. With the death of their warrior king, the united realm of the Stepstones finally shattered for good, and Alyn’s son was left with none to rule over but Bloodstone.