Arc 7The Stepstones Campaign

Daemon Blackfyre helped assemble the Joint Fleet, defeat the Triarchy across the Stepstones, and stop Obara Sand’s attacks on the Stormlands. The fleet then captured Tyrosh, where Selos fled and the city’s nobles offered to surrender him.

  • Daemon Blackfyre gathered support from the great houses as their fleets departed for the Joint Fleet, then helped train the allied ships and dragons for battle.
  • The Joint Fleet sailed for the Stepstones, defeated the Triarchy’s ironclads, and captured Grey Gallows and Bloodstone Island.
  • Daemon Blackfyre captured Craghas Drahar and Racallio Ryndoon, then learned that Obara Sand and Dornish forces threatened the Stormlands and the fleet’s supply lines.
  • Daemon Blackfyre and the allied commanders defeated the Triarchy’s renewed attacks, disrupted Obara Sand’s plans, and secured Bloodstone Island against a blockade.
  • Daemon Blackfyre joined Borros Baratheon to break Obara Sand’s hold on Grey Gallows, then returned to Bloodstone Island to help defeat the Tyroshi fleet and mercenaries.
  • Baelon and the commanders planned an assault on Tyrosh, and Daemon Blackfyre helped locate the wildfire hidden among the harbor reefs before the fleet attacked.
  • Daemon Blackfyre and the Joint Fleet broke Tyrosh’s defenses, while Selos fled to the Bleeding Tower and the city’s nobles seized it and offered to hand him over.
Chapters 152–176 Vol. 2 Read

Ch. 152Farewells on Blackwater Bay

Daemon and Gael said farewell as the fleets of House Velaryon, the North, and the Stormlands departed King's Landing. After securing their promises of ships for the Joint Fleet, Daemon and Gael headed back to the Red Keep, where he prepared to work on the fleet and intelligence about the Triarchy.

  • Rhaenys, Corlys, Laena, and Laenor departed for Tidehead Island after Corlys promised ten warships for the Joint Fleet.
  • Duke Edric Stark and the northern party sailed for White Harbor after promising five longships, while Brandon challenged Daemon to a future match.
  • Boremund Baratheon and Borros left for the Stormlands after promising eight warships, with Borros set to lead them.
  • Daemon comforted Gael as the departing fleets disappeared, and Jocelyn left them alone at the docks.
  • Daemon and Gael returned toward the Red Keep with Grey Ghost and Glutton as Daemon prepared to handle the Joint Fleet and Larys's intelligence on the Triarchy.

Ch. 153Sails Depart King's Landing

Daemon and Gael saw the Westerlands, Reach, and Redwyne fleets depart King's Landing as their lords pledged ships and men to the coming joint fleet. After saying goodbye to Ser Big Horas, Daemon looked ahead to the fleet's arrival and his wedding to Gael next year.

  • Earl Lymond Mallister departed first and told Daemon that Seagard's defenses were strengthened to hold the Narrow Sea entrance until the joint fleet arrived.
  • The Westerlands and Reach lords prepared to sail, while Tyren Reyne, Lucas Tyrell, and Mace Florent offered support and information for the joint fleet.
  • Daemon and Gael went to the Redwyne ships, where Ser Big Horas said goodbye to Alyn and Little Horas before sailing with five warships.
  • Ser Lyan Redwyne urged Alyn and Little Horas to serve Daemon, and the Redwyne fleet cast off as the brothers waved goodbye to their uncle.
  • Daemon told Gael their farewell was for a future reunion and their wedding, then promised to take Grey Ghost around the Narrow Sea after the joint fleet's training.
  • Daemon led Gael and his followers back toward the Red Keep to prepare for the joint fleet's arrival.

Ch. 154A youthful promise

Daemon saw off the Tully and Royce parties as they departed King’s Landing, promising Jennie he would visit her at the Eyrie and helping prepare the Joint Fleet. The chapter ended with Daemon returning to the Red Keep, where he learned Viserys and Aemma might be expecting another child and reaffirmed his resolve to protect the peace.

  • Baelon urged Yorbert Royce to trust the Iron Throne to protect the Vale and ordered Daemon Targaryen to treat Rhea better during their visit to Runestone.
  • Daemon arrived at the Iron Gate and made a pinky promise to visit Jennie at the Eyrie before she left with Yorbert and Rhea.
  • At the Gate of the Gods, Daemon accepted Grover Tully’s river chart and learned that Riverlands houses would send archers to serve under Baelon in the Joint Fleet.
  • Daemon flew back to the Iron Gate as the Tully party departed, then returned to the Red Keep with Gael.
  • Baelon praised Daemon’s judgment, and Daemon Targaryen revealed that Viserys and Aemma might be expecting another child.

Ch. 155The first feast of 99 AC

Daemon Blackfyre celebrated the new year with the Targaryen family while worrying over signs of the Long Night and the coming Stepstones campaign. The feast ended with him resolved to protect his loved ones as his third year in the past began.

  • Jaehaerys welcomed his family to the new-year feast and urged them to set aside talk of war.
  • Gael asked Daemon Blackfyre about the North, and he concealed his deeper fears about the White Walkers and the Long Night.
  • Vaegon arrived with astronomical records and reported early northern lights, while Larys Strong signaled Daemon about a secret Triarchy letter and Lysene pirates near the Stepstones.
  • Jaehaerys rewarded Lyan Redwyne and Ser Clymont with ruby-studded daggers for their tournament performance.
  • Daemon Targaryen told Daemon Blackfyre that House Royce's knights were ready, and Daemon confirmed the joint fleet would assemble before their departure for the Stepstones.
  • Gael offered to travel with Daemon to Castle Black after the campaign, and the family toasted the new year.

Ch. 156Tall sails gathered in Blackwater Bay, dragonfire and waves tempered the troops

Daemon Blackfyre and the gathered houses completed the Joint Fleet’s first formal drills in Blackwater Bay, practicing coordinated ship and dragon tactics against the Triarchy. After the fleet addressed early disorder and reviewed its results, Baelon prepared everyone for the next day’s breakout drills and the expedition to the Stepstones.

  • Baelon assigned the Joint Fleet’s three wings their drills and tasked Daemon with coordinating Glutton and Grey Ghost between the left wing and the center.
  • Corlys and the Redwyne fleet led the left wing’s agile maneuvers and accurate arrow barrages while Baelon, Lyonel Corbray, and the dragons practiced shield formations and dragonfire support in the center.
  • Daemon stopped Bracken and Blackwood ships from disrupting the right wing, and Daemon Targaryen helped direct the fire-resistant ships through their assault drill.
  • Daemon, Rhaenys, Daemon Targaryen, Tyland, and Baelon coordinated a mock attack in which dragons marked and covered enemy ships while Lannister infantry and Riverlands archers cleared their decks.
  • Corlys reported the drill results and proposed deflection shields; Daemon assigned roles for the next day’s breakout drill, and Baelon declared that the fleet would sail for the Stepstones after training.

Ch. 157An east wind aids the breakout drill, spies stir the flames of war

Daemon and the Joint Fleet practiced a breakout drill on Blackwater Bay, captured Lysene spies, and learned that the Triarchy had assembled its great ships in the Stepstones. Baelon announced that the fleet would sail to war at the end of the month, while Daemon prepared for the threat of the approaching Long Night.

  • Daemon adjusted the drill plan using Corlys's shoal map and Larys Strong's warning about the Triarchy's iron-plated great ships.
  • Baelon signaled the breakout, and the Joint Fleet and dragons coordinated an attack that trapped the mock enemy ships.
  • Daemon and Corlys intercepted a Lysene spy vessel and captured spies carrying a diagram of the fleet's formation.
  • Corlys reported that the Triarchy's great ships were assembled in Echo Bay, and Daemon proposed installing dragonglass plates on the ships.
  • Baelon announced that the Joint Fleet would sail for the Stepstones at the end of the month, while Daemon and Gael discussed the worsening northern omens.

Ch. 158The dragon banners point toward the Stepstones

King Jaehaerys declared war on the Triarchy and appointed commanders for the allied fleet’s campaign to reclaim the Stepstones. The Seven Kingdoms’ ships and dragons set sail, while the ending recalled the fleet’s assembly half a month earlier.

  • Jaehaerys addressed the gathered fleet, recalling the Triarchy’s attacks and declaring war to reclaim the Stepstones.
  • Jaehaerys appointed Baelon supreme commander, Daemon Blackfyre and Daemon Targaryen commanders of the left and right fleets, and Corlys deputy commander.
  • Baelon, both Daemons, and Corlys accepted their commands, with their dragons answering overhead.
  • The allied fleet and eight dragons departed Blackwater Bay toward the Stepstones as Jaehaerys and Alysanne watched.
  • Jaehaerys expressed confidence that his descendants and the Seven Kingdoms’ warriors would win and protect Westeros.
  • The narration turned back to the fleet’s assembly half a month earlier.

Ch. 159The formal assembly of the fleet of the Seven Kingdoms of old

Daemon watched the fleets of the Seven Kingdoms assemble in Blackwater Bay, seeing the oaths and alliances he had gathered become a vast joint fleet. As dusk fell, he understood that the fleet could defend the realm’s peace and serve as a weapon against the Long Night and the Triarchy.

  • The northern fleet, including ships from House Manderly, House Locke, House Flint, and House Mormont, converged on Blackwater Bay.
  • The Vale’s ships arrived under House Royce’s leadership, joined by vessels from the Three Sisters and other coastal houses.
  • The Crownlands’ fleet assembled, with Dragonstone’s Royal Fleet, House Velaryon, House Celtigar, House Bar Emmon, and House Massey among its ships.
  • The Stormlands’ fleet joined under House Baratheon, alongside ships from House Tarth, House Estermont, House Connington, and House Swann.
  • The Riverlands’ fleet arrived with provisions and a weirwood longbow company, followed by the weakened Westerlands’ fleet and its vassals.
  • The Reach’s ships completed the assembly, and Daemon watched the thousand sails form a united fleet beneath the dragons circling overhead.

Ch. 160The hour of farewell and departure

The Joint Fleet set sail for the Stepstones under Prince Baelon, with Daemon Blackfyre and Daemon Targaryen joining the campaign. Their families and allies farewelled them, and the chapter ended as the fleet sighted the Triarchy’s warships.

  • Daemon Blackfyre checked the Dragonglass plates on the Blackfyre while Rayford helped verify their defenses against poisoned crossbow bolts.
  • Daemon Targaryen visited Daemon Blackfyre, shared news of a promised celebration after victory, and accepted Gael’s honey cakes.
  • King Jaehaerys charged Baelon with protecting the fleet and the two Daemons, while Queen Alysanne asked Gael to oversee matters in King's Landing.
  • Rhaenys promised to defend Dragonstone as Corlys, Laena, and Laenor said their farewells, and Gael gave Daemon Blackfyre a charm before he departed.
  • Baelon ordered the Joint Fleet to sail for the Stepstones, and Daemon Blackfyre promised Gael he would return to wed her according to Old Valyrian traditions.
  • The fleet sighted the Triarchy’s warships on the distant sea as Daemon Blackfyre resolved to win and return safely.

Ch. 161Deadly danger in the dense fog

Daemon and the Joint Fleet discovered and dismantled the Triarchy’s ambush defenses at Echo Bay in the Stepstones. As the fleet prepared to face three approaching ironclads, the chapter left the battle about to begin.

  • Daemon Targaryen flew into the fog with Daemon and Grey Ghost, where they captured a Lysene scout ship and learned the Triarchy’s fleet was waiting at Echo Bay.
  • Daemon gave Corlys the scout’s deployment map and assigned the dragons and fleet to destroy the cliff ballistae, clear the iron spikes, and prepare an assault.
  • Daemon and Grey Ghost set fire to the Triarchy’s ballista positions while Daemon Targaryen and Caraxes attacked the sellswords defending them.
  • Glutton destroyed additional ballistae aimed at Velaryon sailors as they cleared the iron spikes from the shallows.
  • Corlys spotted three Triarchy ironclads approaching, and Baelon repositioned the fleet as the dragons and soldiers prepared to fight.

Ch. 162Bloody battle in Echo Bay

Daemon Blackfyre and the Joint Fleet defeated the Triarchy’s ambushing force in Echo Bay, capturing its commander and destroying or taking all three ironclads. The fleet secured the passage and sailed onward toward the Stepstones, where Daemon hoped to win the final victory and return to Gael.

  • Corlys Velaryon ordered the Joint Fleet to break the Triarchy’s iron wall while Baelon, Daemon, and Daemon Targaryen led the dragons against the ironclads’ ballistae and attackers.
  • William Manderly rammed through a chain as Velaryon sailors cut into an ironclad’s hull and allied archers pinned down its crossbowmen.
  • Daemon Blackfyre charged the flagship after Glutton shielded Vhagar from poisoned bolts, then fought and killed Redib Introlokos.
  • The Joint Fleet sank or captured all three ironclads, while Tyland Lannister kept the Golden Lion’s soldiers out of the battle.
  • Corlys said the fleet would hold Echo Bay and planned to propose a Governor of the Stepstones after victory; Daemon shared Gael’s honey cake with Daemon Targaryen as the fleet sailed onward.

Ch. 163The nooses of Grey Gallows, the red rocks of Bloodstone Island

The combined fleet captured Grey Gallows and Bloodstone Island, driving out the Triarchy forces and securing the Stepstones’ eastern gateway. A letter revealed that Tyrosh, Lys, and Myr planned further attacks, and the Archon began gathering poison, ships, and sellswords for another campaign.

  • Prince Baelon assigned Daemon and the fleet commanders to attack Grey Gallows and contain the Triarchy forces near Bloodstone Island.
  • Daemon and the fleet burned Grey Gallows’s piers and pirate ships, defeated its defenders, and found the bones of Stormlands subjects beneath the gallows.
  • The combined fleet attacked Bloodstone Island as Corlys led silver ships around the reefs to cut off the Triarchy’s supplies.
  • Daemon and Daemon Targaryen destroyed the island’s defenses, while the Triarchy soldiers surrendered or fled and the fleet captured the island.
  • Rayford found a letter revealing plans for poison and Myrish reinforcements, and Baelon ordered garrisons left on both islands before the fleet returned to Blackwater Bay.
  • The Archon of Tyrosh ordered Lys, Myr, and the Disputed Lands to provide poison, ships, and sellswords for a renewed attack.

Ch. 164The Crabfeeder strikes

Daemon and his allies fought Craghas Drahar and the Triarchy’s fleet in the Stepstones, capturing the Crabfeeder after a fierce battle. When Tyroshi reinforcements arrived, Baelon ordered the combined fleet back to Bloodstone Island to regroup, leaving the wider war unresolved.

  • Corlys spotted the Triarchy’s fleet approaching Bloodstone Island, and Daemon, Baelon, and their allies prepared to fight.
  • Baelon divided the dragonriders’ forces while Daemon attacked Craghas’s flagship with Glutton and Grey Ghost.
  • Corlys rammed Craghas’s flagship with the Sea Snake, and Daemon Targaryen used Caraxes to disable the Lysene ships threatening it.
  • Daemon fought Craghas aboard the burning flagship, wounded him with Blackfyre, and took him prisoner.
  • The Grey Gallows alarm announced a Tyroshi fleet and sellswords, so Baelon ordered the combined fleet to withdraw to Bloodstone Island and regroup.

Ch. 165The purple-and-orange-haired "King of the Narrow Sea," a mad battle song amid the clatter of divining bones

Racallio Ryndoon and his Tyrosh fleet attacked the Joint Fleet at Bloodstone Island, exploiting its weakened defenses and trying to free Crahas. Daemon, Baelon, Corlys, and their dragons fought back as Racallio launched a full assault, leaving the battle underway.

  • Rayford Rosby reported that Racallio Ryndoon was approaching Bloodstone Island with at least forty Tyroshi ships, and Corlys identified him as the madman known as the King of the Narrow Sea.
  • Racallio mocked Daemon and revealed he knew the Joint Fleet was short on supplies, then sent swift ships through the western reefs to attack its supply route.
  • Daemon ordered Glutton to burn the swift ships, while Racallio fought with twin swords, sang bawdy songs, and used his crew's devotion to keep them attacking.
  • Tyroshi sellswords used wildfire to attack the prison cabin holding Crahas, and Grey Ghost burned the attackers before Racallio demanded the dragon in exchange for his withdrawal.
  • Daemon refused Racallio's demands, and Racallio ordered his fleet to attack as Baelon, Corlys, Daemon, and their dragons took up battle positions.

Ch. 166The mad "King of the Narrow Sea"

Daemon and the Joint Fleet defeated the Tyroshi fleet at Bloodstone Island, capturing Racallio Ryndoon and learning that Dorne planned to reinforce the Triarchy and attack the Stormlands. Daemon ordered preparations for the coming threat and left the fleet ready to strike the remaining Triarchy forces in the Stepstones.

  • Daemon used Glutton and Grey Ghost to overcome Racallio Ryndoon, while Daemon Targaryen and Corlys helped defeat the Tyroshi fleet.
  • The Tyroshi fleet surrendered, and Daemon captured Racallio after stopping his attempt to die by Blackfyre.
  • Corlys found a letter revealing that Obara Sand and five thousand Dornish troops planned to aid the Triarchy and launch an attack on the Stormlands.
  • Daemon ordered ravens sent to King's Landing and Storm's End, directed Borros Baratheon to return with the Stormlands fleet, and called on the Joint Fleet to clear the Stepstones quickly.
  • Baelon ordered the fleet to rest and repair at Bloodstone Island for three days before attacking Grey Gallows, while Daemon prepared for the war to continue.

Ch. 167The "Prisoners" of Bloodstone Island

As the Joint Fleet repaired its ships on Bloodstone Island, Daemon questioned Racallio and learned of a coming Dornish attack and further Triarchy reinforcements. After receiving word that Obara Sand planned to join the Triarchy remnants at Grey Gallows, Daemon and his allies prepared to intercept them while he flew toward the island.

  • Corlys Velaryon's shipwrights repaired the Sea Snake's ram while Jarman Waters directed the archers in preparing dragonglass-coated bolts.
  • Daemon ordered Jarman Waters to move Craghas Drahar and Racallio Ryndoon from the ship's holding compartment to Bloodstone Island's prison.
  • Daemon questioned the prisoners, and Racallio revealed that five thousand Dornish led by Obara Sand and ten Triarchy ships were preparing to support the fight against the Joint Fleet.
  • Colin Celtigar reported that Obara Sand planned to reach Grey Gallows in three days, and Baelon and Corlys agreed on a fleet plan to trap the Dornish and attack the Triarchy remnants.
  • Daemon sent ravens to King Jaehaerys and Duke Boremund Baratheon, then flew toward Grey Gallows on Glutton with Grey Ghost as the Joint Fleet prepared for battle.

Ch. 168Battle in the Gallows Fog, Serpents Among the Reefs

Daemon and the Joint Fleet attacked the Triarchy remnants at Grey Gallows, freeing their captives while fighting off Dornish ships. A captured letter revealed that Obara Sand had taken her main force to ambush the fleet’s supply ships, so Daemon raced toward Bloodstone Island to warn Rayford as Daemon Targaryen and the Westerlands ships pursued her.

  • Daemon Targaryen and Daemon split their forces: Daemon Targaryen went to stop the Dornish ships while Daemon attacked the pirate cave and its ballistae with Glutton and Grey Ghost.
  • Daemon burned the ballistae and fought the holdouts while civilians trapped in the cave watched for rescue.
  • Caraxes and the Westerlands ships engaged the Dornish fleet, and Daemon used Glutton and Grey Ghost to disable a fleeing ship before Velaryon sailors captured its crew.
  • Corlys found a letter revealing that Obara Sand had taken her main force to Cape of the Broken Arm to ambush the supply ships commanded by Rayford.
  • Daemon sent Daemon Targaryen and the Westerlands ships after Obara, ordered Corlys to clear Grey Gallows, and flew toward Bloodstone Island to warn Rayford and divert the supplies to Crab Island.

Ch. 169An ambush shrouded in doubt, a serpent's elusive shadow

Daemon and the Joint Fleet defeated a surprise attack by Tyroshi sellswords, Triarchy forces, and pirates, discovering that Obara Sand had used a few Dornish ships as bait. The fleet secured its supply ships and prepared to strengthen the Stepstones’ defenses, though Daemon was left with the uneasy feeling that he had forgotten something important.

  • Daemon used Glutton and Grey Ghost to disable three Dornish fast ships while Rayford Rosby’s crew captured sailors who jumped into the sea.
  • Caraxes revealed a much larger force of Triarchy ironclads, and Daemon Targaryen reported that the Dornish ships had been bait for the sellswords and pirates.
  • Daemon assigned Rayford to protect the supply ships, Corlys Velaryon to block the pirates, and Daemon Targaryen to fight the Tyroshi forces as the Joint Fleet engaged the attackers.
  • The dragons, Velaryon ships, and Redwyne Fleet defeated the enemy forces, while the supply ships reached the island defenses safely.
  • Daemon and Corlys learned that the Triarchy had paid the sellswords and pirates, but that Obara Sand had manipulated them as part of a broader scheme.
  • Prince Baelon arrived with news that ten Royal Fleet ships had been requested as reinforcements, and Daemon ordered stronger island defenses while remaining troubled by a sense that he had forgotten something.

Ch. 170Smoke over Cape Wrath

After the Joint Fleet organized the Stepstones’ defenses and postwar governance, Daemon learned that Obara Sand had attacked the Stormlands at Cape Wrath. He flew with Glutton and Grey Ghost to reinforce the Stormlands, leaving the chapter with a new battle underway.

  • Daemon reviewed the battle’s wounded, prisoners, and supplies before joining Prince Baelon’s council aboard the Royal Standard.
  • Baelon and the assembled lords assigned defenses, trade duties, supplies, and reconstruction work across the Stepstones.
  • A Stormlands messenger reported that Obara Sand’s fleet was fighting Borros near Cape Wrath and that Dornish soldiers had raided villages near Stonehelm.
  • Daemon blamed himself for forgetting Vaegon’s warning and ordered his ships prepared to leave for Cape Wrath.
  • Daemon Targaryen stayed behind with Caraxes to help Baelon defend Bloodstone Island while Daemon departed on Glutton with Grey Ghost and Velaryon ships.

Ch. 171Clouds of doubt over Cape Wrath, a gathering at Mistwood

Daemon investigated the suspiciously quiet waters off Cape Wrath, discovered that Obara Sand was using small raids to conceal her weakened position, and joined the Stormlands' young lords at Mistwood. He planned a strike on Obara's base at Grey Gallows, leaving the group ready to act at first light.

  • Daemon found evidence of Dornish raiders and helped Roland Connington capture three ships, then learned that Borros Baratheon had been wounded and the raids continued around Cape Wrath.
  • At Mistwood, Daemon reunited with Borros and the Stormlands' young nobles and heard that Obara Sand had withdrawn to Grey Gallows with about thirty ships and two thousand sellswords.
  • Daemon reasoned that Obara was buying time after the Triarchy's defeat, and Michael Mertyns confirmed that House Martell's main army had not moved toward Cape Wrath.
  • Borros proposed cutting Obara's supply line, and Daemon offered three Velaryon silver ships and dragon support to help attack Grey Gallows.
  • Borros ordered the group to prepare to move at first light, while Daemon and the Stormlands' nobles raised a toast before the coming battle.

Ch. 172The burning of Grey Gallows

Daemon and the Joint Fleet destroyed Obara’s supply ships and forced her to abandon Grey Gallows, securing the Stormlands’ maritime frontier. He left a small force to guard Mistwood and sailed with the main fleet back to the Stepstones, where the Triarchy threat remained.

  • Daemon led the Joint Fleet from Mistwood toward Grey Gallows, while Lorent, Theogood, and Willie scouted ahead and found Dornish supply ships escorted by Tyroshi mercenaries.
  • Daemon ordered Roland to attack the mercenary ships, House Velaryon’s ships to sink the supply vessels, and Glutton and Grey Ghost to burn the sails and disable Grey Gallows’ ballistae.
  • Stormlands fighters boarded the mercenary ships, House Velaryon’s ballistae sank the merchant ships, and the fleet captured or killed the enemy crews.
  • Obara ordered her soldiers to retreat from Grey Gallows after her supply line was destroyed, and Daemon stopped Glutton from pursuing the fleeing Dornish.
  • Rayford Rosby reported that Byron Swann had secured Stonehelm and the Red Watch villages and that Prince Baelon had stabilized the Stepstones’ defenses.
  • Daemon left Michael Mertyns and Robin Beesbury to guard Mistwood and took the main force back to the Stepstones to prepare for possible Triarchy reinforcements.

Ch. 173Undercurrents in the Narrow Sea, Crisis on Bloodstone

Daemon led the Joint Fleet back to Bloodstone Island, defeated the Tyroshi fleet, and uncovered a Dornish plot to attack the island. He ordered the defenses reinforced as the Archon of Tyrosh began assembling a larger coalition for another counterattack.

  • Daemon ordered Jarman to tighten security after Crahas stirred up prisoners and bribed guards on Bloodstone Island, then led an ambush against Tyroshi scout ships.
  • A captured Tyroshi captain revealed that fifty swift ships and the Broken Blade Mercenary Company had cut off Bloodstone Island's supplies, so Daemon hurried back with the fleet.
  • Daemon stopped Crahas's prison riot, and Racallio offered to persuade the mercenaries to surrender if Daemon defeated the Tyroshi fleet.
  • Daemon, Colin, Roland, and Racallio split their forces to break the Tyroshi blockade and intercept Dornish ships, capturing commander Marcos and securing the surrender of the Tyroshi fleet and mercenaries.
  • Rayford reported that Obara and the Dornish Sand Snakes had colluded with Tyrosh to attack Bloodstone Island, while Gael sent Daemon a letter from King's Landing.
  • Daemon ordered reinforcements for Bloodstone Island and defensive preparations at Cape Wrath, while the Archon of Tyrosh sought ships and support from Lys and Myr for a final counterattack.

Ch. 174The final war council

Prince Baelon’s war council agreed to attack Tyrosh, and Daemon proposed a fleet-and-dragon assault aimed at capturing Archon Selos. The Joint Fleet prepared to sail at dawn in three days while Selos ordered Tyrosh’s defenses mobilized, unaware of the fleet’s plans.

  • Baelon reviewed the Joint Fleet’s victories across the Stepstones and rallied the council to take the fight to Tyrosh.
  • Corlys Velaryon outlined the forces available to both sides, while Daemon Targaryen and Racallio Ryndoon explained Selos’s precarious rule and the unrest in Tyrosh.
  • Daemon proposed drawing out the Tyroshi fleet, striking from the reefs, and attacking its command ships with Glutton, Grey Ghost, Caraxes, and Vhagar; Racallio agreed to help persuade the mercenaries to surrender.
  • The council set the attack for dawn in three days, and Daemon received a letter from Gael urging him to stay safe and remember her charm.
  • Selos learned that the Joint Fleet appeared to be heading for Tyrosh and ordered every fast ship to defend the harbor and the mercenaries to hold the reefs.

Ch. 175The Archon of Tyrosh's "Doom"?

Daemon and the allied fleet prepared to attack Tyrosh, using captured intelligence and dragons to counter the Archon’s wildfire defenses. As the fleet approached the harbor, Archon Selos prepared an ambush, unaware that the allies had already begun locating the wildfire jars.

  • Daemon reviewed the fleet’s preparations, received honey cakes and a letter from Gael, and joined Baelon’s war council to plan the assault on Tyrosh.
  • Corlys warned that Archon Selos might have hidden wildfire among the harbor reefs, and Daemon proposed using Grey Ghost to locate the jars before the dragons burned them.
  • Daemon’s forces captured Tyroshi scouts carrying a harbor defense map that marked the wildfire jars, and he ordered Corlys to use it to adjust the fleet’s hooks.
  • Baelon sounded the fleet’s departure, and Daemon, Daemon Targaryen, Baelon, and Rhaenys led their dragons toward Tyrosh while the allied ships followed.
  • Glutton attacked a Tyroshi fast ship as the fleet reached the harbor approaches, while Corlys’s ships began clearing the reefs and Grey Ghost marked their positions.
  • Archon Selos prepared to detonate the wildfire and unleash five Lysene ships, unaware that the allied fleet was already countering his trap.

Ch. 176The day's end beneath the sunset

The Joint Fleet attacked Tyrosh, shattered Selos’s defenses, and set the harbor ablaze as the Archon fled to the Bleeding Tower. The Tyroshi nobles seized the tower, but Baelon held off deciding the city’s future until Selos was captured, leaving the battle won but the conflict unfinished.

  • Baelon ordered Daemon Targaryen to break the chained ships, Daemon Blackfyre to destroy their scorpions, and Corlys Velaryon to cut off their reserves as the Stormlands and northern fleets attacked.
  • Daemon Targaryen broke the Tyroshi chains with Caraxes, while Borros Baratheon and other Stormlands fighters boarded enemy ships and Daemon Blackfyre burned the scorpions with Glutton.
  • Vhagar attacked Selos’s command ship, and Selos escaped by boat to the Bleeding Tower as his forces surrendered to Racallio Ryndoon.
  • Baelon ordered the Joint Fleet to burn Tyrosh’s harbor and shipyards, while Daemon Blackfyre freed Westerosi merchants held hostage and Tyroshi nobles rebelled against Selos.
  • The nobles seized the Bleeding Tower and offered to hand over Selos; Baelon ordered the fleet to extinguish fires and aid the wounded before settling Tyrosh’s affairs.
Arc 7 of 10
Arc 7 of 10