Pentos

Pentos is one of the Free Cities born of Valyria, located on the coast of the Narrow Sea and on the Bay of Pentos. Once relatively weak, the city has re-asserted itself in recent years with the appointment of a new Prince, Vorello Paehin, who seized control after the victory in the War of the Green Waves.

Recent History
Pentos was bound to Braavosi edicts on slavery since the War of Liberation, in 209 AC. For decades, Pentos was barred from having slaves, though it got around these restrictions by raising foreign banners when trading and by disguising them as indebted servants, making them pay more than they earned. Though rather lenient and relatively ineffective in actually curbing slavery, Pentos chafed under these restrictions. Eventually, under the reign of the Sealord Notario Ledaesh, they struck. Naming a new Prince from the Forty Families, Pentos declared war upon Braavos, which would grow to be called the War of the Green Waves, in 298 AC.

To their great surprise, they were victorious. The Prince, a young man by the name of Vorello Paehin, was regarded as a hero, though he, in fact, did little to actually win or involve himself in the war. Even the Magisters, who had prepared to slaughter him in what they thought would be a long, difficult war, praised the young man for his "bravery" and "cunning". Of course, they believed that they were the power behind the throne. Until they were not.

A division grew between the magisters and the Prince, with the former realizing that the latter's title was not as titular as it seemed. The Prince ruled as the position is said to have always, usurping power from the council and ruling the city as his own man. Upon the birth of a famine in 303 AC, the magisters moved to slit the Prince's throat, following the tradition of sacrifice. Their plan went awry. Riots broke out in the street upon word's spreading and the sellswords, fearful for their own life and loyal to their Prince, refused to carry out the order. Instead, the Prince took power for himself. The Magisters were slaughtered for their treachery, their bodies hung up outside the city walls. Only a scant few managed to escape the Prince's wroth, fleeing the city for safer locales, even Braavos.

In the midst of the chaos, the slaves revolted larger than they had before. Many fought their way toward the city, but found themselves killed by the Prince's sellswords. The streets were so paved with blood that the day would forever be known as the Redroads. Most were returned to bondage, while others chose to die free and fighting. The craftier fled, hiding in the cellars and sewers, hiding and pledging they would be free. They escaped the city as their compatriots bought them time with their own lives. Those that escaped proclaimed themselves the Unchained, free from any master and dedicated to make it so that no man would be enslaved again.

Pentos has hired sellswords and rebuilt their fleet, ready to engage Braavos once more, regardless of the cost it may take.