Many years before Aegon’s Conquest of Westeros, the Valyrian Freehold ruled a mighty territory
within Essos, establishing settlements throughout their holdings.
Three of these cities in Myr Tyrosh and Lys, were established along the continent’s south
western coast, administered independently, though under the banner of Valyria.
And so peace was maintained between them and the prosperous lands bordering their territories
were respected as belonging to the Dragonlords.
But after the Doom and fall of Valyria, the cities were unleashed upon each other.
And during the century of blood, many wars were fought for these Disputed Lands, with
each the three cities eager to claim it for themselves.
In the chaos of these years another faction also entered the fighting, with the city of
Volantis sending their armies into the west and conquering both Myr and Lys, taking possession
of the lands between them.
Believing themselves the heirs of Valyria, the Volantene set out to reconquer the former
lands of the Freehold, finding some initial success in their efforts.
Yet their dreams were ultimately shattered after an alliance was assembled, between Tyrosh,
pentos, Braavos, House Durrandon of the Stormlands and House Targaryen of Dragonstone, all of
which united to defeat Volantis, laying waste to the disputed lands but also liberating
the cities of Myr and Lys.
Even after the years of heavy fighting in Essos faded and House Targaryen became the
rulers of Westeros, the Disputed Lands remained a center of military and mercenary activity.
Eventually Volantis again tried to conquer the area but was defeated at the Battle of
the Borderland in 96 AC, by a combined army from Myr, Lys and Tyrosh.
Their success then led to the formation of the Kingdom of the Three Daughters, governed
by a High Council of 33 magisters.
The Triarchy as it was known then conquered the stepstones controlling trade between the
narrow and summer seas.
A position so lucrative it began to gain the attention of Pentos to the North and Volantis
to the east who worried about this rising power.
Yet when war soon came to the Stepstones in 106 AC, it came not from their rivals in essos,
but from Damon Targaryen, brother to the king of westeros, and his ally Corlys Velaryon
who invaded the islands.
For three years they fought, until 109AC when Daemon was crowned King of the Stepstones
and the Narrow Sea.
A year later, a Tyroshi captain named Racallio Ryndoon marched against them on behalf of
the Triarchy, with fresh troops and new allies from Dorne who wished to join in the fighting
against this rogue targaryen.
The War for the stepstones went on for many more years, seeing Daemon Targaryen abandon
his position in 115AC, leaving it to a series of 5 more kings, before the Kingdom ultimately
collapsed.
During the Dance of the Dragons Civil War in Westeros in 129AC, both Daemon Targaryen
and Corlys Velaryon, formerly of the Kingdom of the Stepstones, declared for the black
faction of Queen Rhaenyra.
And so Ser Otto Hightower of the Green faction, hand of the king to Aegon II, reached out
to the Triarchy, hated enemies of the Rogue Prince and Sea Snake, forming all alliance
in which they sent ships to fight at the battle of the Gullet, defeating the fleet of house
Velaryon, but at a heavy cost to their own forces.
Of the 90 ships that sailed for war only 28 returned home.
One year later, the Triarchy fell apart, after years of political infighting and the devastating
losses faced in the recent war.
And when a Lysene Admiral was assassinated by a rival noblemen over the love of the Courtesan
Johanna Swann, the end had come upon them.
Taking advantage of their weakened state, the cities of Pentos, Braavos and Lorath joined
together and brought down the flailing Kingdom.
In 258 AC Maelys the Monstrous, last of the male Blackfyre line and leader of the Golden
Company, formed the band of nine alongside a group of pirate merchants of and petty warlords,
conquering the Disputed Lands, Tyrosh and the Stepstones.
There they established a base from which they might invade westeros and destroy House Targaryen,
the hated enemies of House Blackfyre since the days of the first blackfyre rebellion,
when they threatened to end Targaryen rule.
Yet the war of the ninepenny kings, or 5th blackfyre rebellion ended in defeat, with
the armies of Westeros descending upon the Stepstones before the invasion could even
take place.
Once again the Disputed Lands returned to an area of conflict, where many famous warriors
like Oberyn Martell and Jon Connington fought.
As well as mercenary groups like the Golden Company, Second Sons, the Windblown and the
Company of the Cat.
Even the Ironborn are known to visit the territory sometimes raiding the coast or else working
as sellswords.