Braavos is the most unique and powerful of the Free Trade Cities, consisting of a series of islands at the northwesternmost tip of the continent of Essos, located where the Narrow Sea and Shivering Sea meet, making its fishing resources incredibly abundant.
Meraxes, along with Hognara and the others, had hunted plenty of prey from the nearby waters early that morning. Hognara and Hogras, in particular, could easily dive dozens of meters beneath the surface to catch their prey.
And the small sea dragons, Jörmungar and Jörmungal, who had already grown to over a meter in length, were even more ferocious in the ocean. Even large fish two or three meters long could hardly escape their combined efforts to ensnare and kill them.
Thanks to their diligent efforts, they contributed a very rich seafood breakfast to Daenerys and her companions.
Meanwhile, Dreamfyre, whose body had now expanded to nearly eighty meters, flew directly over the Shivering Sea and returned from hunting with a killer whale, thoroughly filling the dragons' bellies.
Daenerys, leading her Holy Flame fleet, finally arrived at the Braavos coast after a day and night of sailing from Runestone City.
Although Braavos is closer to the North, its temperature is similar to King's Landing. The Braavos coast stretches for hundreds of kilometers of verdant rolling hills. The mountains and river valleys to the east of the coastal hills are also within Braavos's sovereign territory.
Unlike other Free Trade Cities, Braavos was never part of the Valyrian Freehold. Instead, it was founded by refugees who escaped Valyrian slavery approximately 500 years before Aegon's Landing.
During the Valyrian period, slaves responsible for rowing in a Valyrian fleet launched a rebellion and seized a large ship. Knowing they were powerless against the Valyrian dragons, they tried to stay as far away as possible from Valyrian influence.
They eventually fled north across the Narrow Sea, and, led by the Moon Singers, escaped to this archipelago surrounded by mountains and perpetually shrouded in thick fog.
Their ability to find such an ideal location was thanks to the prophetic guidance of the Moon Singers.
Moon Singers, also known as Moon Singers, are the clergy of the nomadic Jogos Nhai people from the far eastern regions of the continent of Essos.
Each Jogos Nhai tribe is led by a Jha, who is the war chief, and a Moon Singer, who is responsible for internal affairs such as prayer, healing, and judgment.
Given that the Jha leads all matters concerning conflict, plunder, and battles, the Moon Singer leads all other matters concerning the tribe's survival and daily life. Moon Singers are generally women. If a man wishes to become a Moon Singer, he must wear women's clothing.
When that ship, transporting slaves from Sothoryos to the Valyrian Freehold, rebelled, a group of Jogos Nhai female slaves from the Jogos Nhai plains took control of the slave ship and steered it north.
They prophesied that there would be a place that could serve as a refuge for everyone: behind pine-covered hills and sea rocks, there was a lagoon, perpetually shrouded in fog, which could obscure the eyes of dragonlords flying overhead, preventing them from discovering these refugees.
These women were the Moon Singers, and according to Braavos's historical records, their prophecy came true. For this, the largest temple in Braavos, the Moon Singer Temple, was built.
Because the runaway slaves came from many different places and held various different beliefs, the founders of Braavos gave a place to all gods and declared that they would never favor any one god.
They included Andals, Summer Islanders, Ghiscari, Naathi, Ibbish, Salor, as well as indebted and criminal pure-blooded Valyrian.
Some were trained slave-soldiers, some were bed slaves, cooks, stablehands, stewards, and some were skilled craftsmen: carpenters, blacksmiths, masons, workers, as well as fishermen, kitchen slaves, and so on.
The newly freed people spoke many dialects, so the language of their former masters—valyrian—became their common tongue.
This remote and secluded lagoon was rich in fish and shellfish, the islands were covered in dense forests, and the nearby mainland had iron, tin, lead, rock, and various useful materials.
The slaves, fearing recapture, lived in isolation for a long time thereafter. Thus, Braavos quietly prospered, with farms, homes, and temples spreading across the entire archipelago.
The Braavosi discovered a type of sea snail similar to the one that made the Tyrosh dye merchants prosperous. This snail could be used to make a dark purple dye. The trade in purple pigment still holds an important position in Braavos's foreign trade to this day.
To change the appearance of these captured ships, they dyed them purple. They avoided valyrian merchant ships as much as possible, beginning to trade with the Ibbish, and later with the Seven Kingdoms. For a long time, when asked about their home port, Braavosi captains would be evasive.
For the first century of its existence, Braavos's existence was largely unknown, earning it the name "Secret City." It wasn't until the Sealord Uthero Zalyne sent his ships to every corner of the world to declare Braavos's existence and location, and invited people from all nations to the Secret City to celebrate its 111th anniversary.
By then, the original escaped slaves and their former masters had all died, and the valyrian Dragonlords had little interest in the descendants of these former slaves.
Braavos, represented by the Iron Bank, engaged in diplomacy with the Freehold, offering Valyria enormous reparations to compensate for the losses caused by the seizure of the fleet that year (but refusing to compensate for the value of their ancestors as slaves), an event known as "Uthero Uncloaks."
Braavos has no king or prince; power is held by the Sealord, chosen by the city's scholars and guardians from among the citizens through a mysterious and complex process. The Sealord commands an unparalleled fleet of warships and a world-renowned fleet of purple-sailed, purple-hulled merchant ships.
The builders of Braavos were willing to give their lives for freedom, and thus they swore that no man, woman, or child of Braavos would ever be a slave. This is the First Law of Braavos, inscribed on the arch bridge spanning the Long Canal.
From that day forward, the Braavos Sealords opposed all forms of slavery and fought many wars against slave traders and their allies. The Free Trade City State of Pentos, for example, was defeated by Braavos and forced to ban the slave trade, and Pentosi were not allowed to own slaves. (Although the wealthy and powerful still found ways to circumvent the law and own slaves).
Once selected, the Sealord serves for life.
Braavos is the wealthiest of the Free Cities, with a highly advanced financial industry, partly due to the wealth and influence of the Iron Bank, whose currency is square and made of iron.
Braavos's fishing industry is well-developed, abundant in fish and shellfish, including "herring, cod, oysters, clams, crabs, mussels, scallops, shrimp."
Braavos's mining industry is based on metals such as iron, tin, and lead found on the nearby mainland.
Braavos's textile industry is developed, and the sea snails here can be used to make dark purple dye.
Braavos's maritime transport is developed; initially, they traded with the Ibbish, and later with the Seven Kingdoms. Braavos merchant ships can travel as far as Asshai and the Jade Sea islands. Braavos also boasts the world's largest port, where anyone except slave traders can dock. Even ships from Qarth and the Summer Isles come to Braavos for trade.
Braavos's architecture is world-renowned for its exquisite craftsmanship, with the Hall of Truth and the Moon Singer Temple being outstanding examples.
Braavos's pleasure industry and courtesans are world-famous, and their theater industry is far more developed than in other regions.
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