An Excerpt from The Conflagrations of the Narrow Sea, by Maester Theomund of Sunspear
(Composed in the reign of King Aegon II Targaryen, regarding the events at the Stepstones known as the "Battle of the Steps.")
Few naval actions in living memory matched in scale the carnage unleashed in the last moon of 131 AC, when the Braavosi-led Essosi coalition attempted to pierce the Westerosi blockade at the foot of the Stepstones. Though its name would come to be known simply as the "Battle of the Steps," the clash was neither contained to one single strait nor concluded in one single night. Rather, it spread across a labyrinth of isles and channels, and lasted close to a full turn of the sun, culminating in an overwhelming Westerosi victory and the near-complete rout of Braavosi-led grand fleet.
Prelude and Intentions
All contemporaneous sources agree the Braavosi coalition numbered in the thousands of hulls, though estimates vary wildly: some cite as many as three thousand ships; others, more sober-minded, place the figure nearer eighteen hundred. In either case, this assemblage included armed galleys from Pentos, Myr, and Lys, as well as numerous war-dromonds from Tyrosh, and several Braavosi vessels newly launched from the famed Arsenal. The Titan's envoys had boasted of retaking the Stepstones through sheer force, determined to shatter the blockade that for many moons had choked their trade with the wider world.
Unbeknownst to the Essosi commanders, Prince Aemond Targaryen and his war council had long prepared a trap. Heavy fortifications rose along the Stepstones' key anchorages, bristling with scorpions, trebuchets, and stores of wildfire casks—a terror few men dare to name lightly. Moreover, the crown had quietly summoned its major war fleets to Estermont, whence they might sail unobserved to strike the rear of any force attempting to breach the Stepstones.
So it was that in the final days of that autumn, the Braavosi flotilla gathered south of Tyrosh, then pressed onward at dusk, intending to force an entry north into the Steps. Their Lysene allies pushed from the south, hemming the Westerosi defenders in the positions. Having received intelligence (later believed to be a ruse spread by Aemond's "Speakers") that many Westerosi patrols had sailed for the waters east of the Dornish coasts to confront the smaller Lysene fleet, the coalition believed, at that time, the straits guarded only by coastal artillery and a token force of local war galleys.
Initial Engagement
Well before midnight on the twenty-ninth day of the moon, the Braavosi vanguard advanced into the straits, their decks lined with sellsails and mercenaries from across Essos. They found, as they expected, some stony ramparts manned by Westerosi soldiers—and from the shore erupted the first barrage of projectiles: stones, scorpion bolts, pots of burning pitch. Most accounts agree the Essosi advance met these opening volleys in good order, proceeding with caution, scorpions on their own ships returning fire. The allied captains believed these defenses, though staunch, could be overcome by first light.
But the defenders did not await the dawn.
Instead, close to the hour of the bat, hidden watchers on the heights signaled the release of casks bearing wildfire. Hurled by trebuchets onto the sea, these casks burst in emerald flame. Green fire leapt from hull to hull, sowing panic. Confusion mounted further when, overhead, three dragons descended upon the coalition's center. Maester Rallent, who accompanied the Braavosi captain Aetho Naras, writes of an "unearthly spectacle," describing how Vhagar, Vermithor and Silverwing bathed whole lines of ships in flame. To the south, Tessarion and Seasmoke darted to and fro, harrying Lysene stragglers that had turned to flee. Meanwhile, certain watchers on shore (most notably the soldier-chronicler Ser Eustace Craik) reported glimpsing a pale dragon aloft in the moonlight—possibly Grey Ghost, though no definitive record places his rider, Lord Wyl, upon him at that time. This specter apparently did not loose flame, but circled high overhead, seemingly observing.
The Essosi force, already disordered by wildfire, now splintered under draconic attack. Many turned back, rowing frantically—only to find their path blocked by more catapult volleys from the Stepstones' forts. A band of Myrish dromonds, under the command of one Admiral Qinos, made a valiant attempt to rally, seeking to bring ship-mounted scorpions to bear on the dragons overhead. But the gloom and rising smoke hindered their aim. Within the hour, half the Myrish squadron was ablaze.
Arrival of the Westerosi Fleet
Shortly thereafter, as dawn approached, the main Westerosi fleet emerged from the east. Having assembled near Estermont days prior, this grand force included war galleys from the Crown, House Velaryon's formidable contingent, Lannister carracks, and Redwyne ships refitted with rams and scorpions. Thrusting into the straits with the tide, the Westerosi force enveloped the now-scattered Braavosi ships from behind.
Caught betwixt coastal defenses and a sudden wedge of warships, the Essosi tried in vain to extricate themselves. A few battered vessels strove to fight on, loosing flaming bolts toward the Westerosi line, but were outmatched by the combined might of the royal fleet. The slaughter was extensive. Many who could not row fast enough to break free found themselves boarded, their decks red with blood, or else driven onto the rocks, battered by merciless catapults. Captain Erroth of Lys, it is said, scuttled his own dromond rather than yield to the "Butcher's minions."
The most dramatic blow fell, however, when dragons again took wing as daylight brightened. Led by the monstrous Vhagar, they rained fresh flame upon any cluster of resistance, turning the sea black with smoke. Ser Eustace claims that as many as a thousand ships perished in those infernal hours, though that figure is likely exaggerated. Still, no witness disputes that the devastation was among the worst of the war.
The Dornish Turn
Just as scattered elements of the coalition appeared ready to flee westward—some presumably seeking refuge in the Sea of Dorne—another twist sealed their fate. From that quarter, a fresh fleet arrived, bearing the blazing sun-and-spear of Dorne. For a moment, the Braavosi and Pentoshi remnant believed they might find succor there, or at least safe passage. Prince Qoren Martell had long maintained a precarious neutrality, and some among the Essosi pinned hopes on Dorne's sympathy.
They were mistaken. Whether by prior arrangement or a last-minute decision, the Dornish turned on the battered coalition without mercy. The war galleys of Sunspear, Planky Town, and the Greenblood surrounded the retreating vessels, raining projectiles that snuffed any hope of escape. According to Maester Ullaron in his account from Sunspear, Prince Qoren had warned the Braavosi he would not abide any threat upon Dorne's survival—and seizing the chance, he chose to extend an olive branch to his choleric neighbours by siding with the Westerosi in that final hour.
Thus hemmed in from all sides, the remainder of the Braavosi-led coalition either struck their banners, surrendered, or were smashed to splinters. It is said a third of the entire allied fleet was lost or captured, many vessels found adrift and ablaze, the rest escaping in a chaotic rout. Wildfire slicked the water in ghastly green whorls, and the stench of burned pitch and flesh carried for leagues.
Outcome and Tally
Contemporary chronicles differ on the exact toll. Maester Rallent bemoans "A thousand galleys lost in flame," which is likely a vast overstatement. The more conservative estimates speak of six to eight hundred vessels sunk, with countless thousands of men drowned or burned. Over five hundred warships were seized intact and pressed into royal service. The Titan's flagship, a Braavosi dromond called Penitent's Vigil, was among the last to strike its banner. All told, the coalition that had once threatened to break the Westerosi blockade lay in shambles.
Westerosi losses were not inconsiderable—some speak of forty or more ships destroyed by counterfire, a figure that might climb higher if including the smaller cogs and support vessels. Yet by day's end, Aemond's fleet remained a cohesive force, holding the Stepstones firmly. On shore, the fortifications had sustained minor damage but remained operational, their store of wildfire not nearly exhausted. The dragons, in particular, proved a decisive edge, though none of the monstrous beasts (Vhagar chief among them) were said to have suffered more than superficial wounds.
The role of Grey Ghost remains cloaked in mystery. Some speculated it might have been newly tamed or unaccustomed to battle. Others whispered it had come merely to observe—though for what purpose, no one could say. In subsequent months, rumors arose that this strange drake had taken a rider in secrecy, but for some more time yet no proof emerged.
As for the Dornish, their last-minute intervention confirmed the precarious position of Prince Qoren, who seems to have weighed the risk of Targaryen wrath against potential gain in allying with the Braavosi. If the Braavosi had triumphed, perhaps Qoren might have chosen differently. But confronted with the Greens' strength (and the looming presence of dragons), Qoren evidently believed neutrality would no longer serve and that the time had come to show alignment with King Aegon II's regime.
Consequences
The Battle of the Steps shattered Braavos's immediate hopes of piercing the Westerosi blockade. In the days that followed, many captured vessels were sailed as prizes into Crown ports, fueling triumph in King's Landing and among the allied lords. Prince Aemond's stratagem—enticing the coalition into a narrow kill-zone and then striking with both coastal artillery and an encircling fleet—was hailed as a masterstroke, solidifying his fearsome reputation.
For Braavos and its allies, the defeat proved calamitous. With so many ships lost, the city's remaining eastern merchant routes never fully recovered that season, and the threatened assault on the Stepstones dissolved into a piecemeal retreat. Several petty captains fled across the sea lanes in disorganized packs, leaving the Titan's proud navy gutted. The war was far from over, but this decisive battle ensured Westeros's continued dominance over the Narrow Sea for months—if not years—to come.
Thus ended a night (and day) of green fire and black waters, a clash that left the Steps thick with wreckage and the toll of uncounted dead. Many songs have been composed to memorialize the carnage, though few capture the horror as vividly as the simple words of a surviving Braavosi oarsman, recorded by Ser Eustace Craik:
"We rowed into a cauldron of flame. The dragons above and the fires below—there was no escape but death."
So it was written, and so it stands in the annals of our realm.