Braavos (Jedi Renaissance)

Braavos was a city-state located on an archipelago and one of nine such cities to make up the Free Cities of Thyr on the planet Tython. Located on the northwestern shore of Thyr and the northern most of the Free Cities, Braavos consisted of several islands sitting on a lagoon. Ruled by a Sealord, Braavos was the seat of the Iron Bank and historically the the island city was situated on the edge of the Shivering Sea, while an inlet of water known as Lorath Bay separated it from the main continent.

History
Unlike the other Free Cities, Braavos was never part of the Valyrian Freehold, but was instead founded 500 years before Aegon's Landing in Westeros by refugees fleeing Valyrian expansion. They were led by the Moonsingers, a sect of Force-sensitives, who settled in the lagoon in an effort to find a place safely away from the Valyrian dragons. For centuries it was called the Secret City and remained relatively unknown to the rest of the world, allowing for the Moonsingers to build up their walls and fortify their haven from invasion. Following the Doom of Valyria some four centuries after Braavos was founded, the wider world became aware of the city and its ports began to grow in size and popularity among sailors. As merchants and shipwrights began taking port in the city, Braavos began to sprawl across the lagoon's nearly one hundred islands. Surrounded by a ring of uninhabited mountainous and marshy barrier islands which protected the city's seaward side, Braavos brought in firewood by barge from the mainland, allowing the tall pines on the seaward islands to act as windbreaks to protect the valuable harbors.

When the Jedi Order returned to Tython after hundreds of millennia had passed since they occupied the world, the Braavosi welcomed the Forceful warriors with open arms. Seeing the return of the Jedi as a return to a more prosperous age, local Braavosi helped clear the way for a new Jedi outpost to be constructed within an old temple in the Isle of the Gods. While the Jedi had left Tython thousands of millions of generations before Braavos was founded, the Braavosi knew that the Forceful Valyrians from which they had descended shared a common ancestor with the original Je'daii. As the Jedi's presence on Tython grew, more and more Jedi Journeyers found their way to the island nation during their Great Journeys, seeking out knowledge and adventure within the city's boundaries. Many came seeking knowledge on Water Dancing, while others came to enjoy the food and drink offered in public houses and breweries. Mummer shows and whore houses catered to the needs of travel weary Jedi youths, while the Isle of Gods provided for reflection and introspection. Older Jedi came to Braavos to conduct business with the Iron Bank on behalf of the Jedi High Council or to partake in the Sealord's court.

Geography
The lagoon upon which Braavos was built was comprised of a ring of larger, forested seaward islands and smaller, barren islands upon which the city was founded. The city was comprised of a hundred islands linked together by small stone bridges spanning the many canals throughout the city. There were no trees to be found within the city, making Braavos a city of stone architecture and granite monuments. The streets were lined with houses made of grey stone, built so close that they leaned upon one another. Some houses were built above waterways to accommodate the traffic of personal craft; these buildings were slim with peaked roofs which might stand five stories tall. Above the houses and canals an aqueduct had been constructed, and was known as the Sweetwater River because it brought fresh water from the mainland for drinking. The water from the lagoon was brackish and briny and the canal water was not drinkable without first boiling it; therefore, rich men piped it directly into their homes, while commoners filled buckets at public fountains. While several channels cut through the ring of islands from the seaward side of the city, only one was deep enough and wide enough to accommodate larger sailing ships. To not only mark this main entrance to the city but also defend it, the Braavosi erected a towering statue of a man in armor and wielding a sword and shield. Known as the Titan, its internal structure was capable of holding a garrison of defenders while also maintaining a beacon fire.

After passing under the Titan, visitors to the city had to first pass the small island fortress known as the Arsenal, a defensive outpost which served as the headquarters of the Braavosi navy. Beyond this island stood the city proper, a great sprawl of domes and towers and bridges in hues of grey, gold, and red. Braavos was served by two main harbors; the Purple Harbor in the north which was used by local sailors, and the Ragman's Harbor in the west for the use of foreigners. All ships which sought to moor in Braavos were subject to inspection by the Sealord's customs officers at the Chequy Port. Scattered throughout the city were small wharves and landings for the fishermen and ferries. Reliant on trade from afar and local fisheries which harvested the plethora of fish and shellfish which dwelt in the lagoon, Braavos' economy was reliant on the waterways for a stable economic system.

All gods were honored in Braavos throughout its history, as the city was founded on the basis of religious freedom and acceptance. Most of the temples were located on the isle in the center of the city, known as the 'Isle of the Gods'. Among them were the Temple of the Moonsingers who had led the original Braavosi refugees to the islands. Another temple of note was the temple to the Father of Waters which was rebuilt whenever he took a new bride, as well as temples to the Many-Faced God and R'hllor, and a sept for the Seven named the Sept-Beyond-the-Sea. Even gods whose followers had all died out were honored in a temple called the Holy Refuge or, colloquially, the Warrens.

An ancient area of Braavos was known as the Drowned Town; where long ago the town had fallen into the lagoon and only the domes and towers of the old buildings were visible above the surface of the water. Below the Drowned Town there was a series of wharves. A popular local attraction was the Moon Pool, where bravos and would duel by moon light or engage outsiders in duels. Healers for hire could be found at the House of the Red Hands while the best inns and brothels stood near the Purple Harbor or the Moon Pool. Statues of former Sealords stand along the main canal, commemorating the city's history and celebrating the past. Carved wearing long bronze robes, the statues were made to appear to be holding various items in their hands, such as books, daggers or hammers. One held a golden star and another was upending a stone flagon from which fresh water flowed.

A broad waterway known as the Long Canal led south to the fishmarket, passing first the Palace of Truth, a building with green copper domes. The tall square towers of the Prestayns and the Antaryons also sat along the canal. After those towers, one would first pass beneath the large grey aqueduct of the Sweetwater River that demarcates the beginning of the district known as the Silty Town. In the Salty Town, the buildings are smaller and less grand. The Long Canal was the main thoroughfare filled with barge and serpent boat traffic.

The most powerful institution in Braavos was the Iron Bank which found its vaults to be impenetrable and secure for millennia. Lending out to the different Free Cities and Westerosi kingdoms and houses, the Iron Bank was subject to no king or lord and maintained full autonomy throughout its existence. Situated in the northern islands of the city, the Bank's vaults delved deep into the planet's crust and were cavernous and meandering. With the return of the Jedi, the Order began to maintain some of its finances through the Iron Bank as a sign of good faith between the Tythans and the Force-wielding mystics.

Culture
Braavos maintained a seafaring trade culture throughout its history, extending into the modern era. Braavosi ships painted their hulls purple and their merchant ships sailed to many distant lands and brought their trade and wealth back home. One often heard of purple sails as far away as Asshai and the islands of the Jade Sea. Once the Jedi Order reestablished itself on Tython, the Braavosi were the first to boast of setting sail for the far away shores of Talss to supply goods from Essos to the Grand Temple in the far west.

The city was also renowned worldwide for its courtesans. Every courtesan had her own barge and servants to work them. The beauty of famed courtesans had inspired many a song. They were showered with gifts from goldsmiths and craftsmen begged for their custom. Nobility and rich merchants paid the courtesans large amounts of money to appear alongside them at events, and bravos were known to kill each other in their names. Braavosi culture had created a unique form of sword fighting, called Water Dancing. The style was a refined form of fencing in which the practitioner stands sideways and wields a slender blade. Pugnacious bravos filled the city, frequently dueling to display their skill. Bravos dressed in flamboyant colors, contrary to wealthy Braavosi, who dressed in charcoal grey and purple, blues that were almost black and blacks as dark as a moonless night. Officials of Braavos, called keyholders and justiciars, wore drab coats of brown and grey.

Accepting of all cultures and religions while reviling slavery, the Braavosi eagerly welcomed the Jedi Order back to Tython with a grand parade through the city streets. As Jedi representatives entered the Sealord's palace, the reigning Sealord bent the knee to the Jedi as a sign of welcome and good ease. Establishing a small Jedi outpost in the city, Jedi from across Tython would often visit the city to observe their customs, eat their wares and partake in their traditions. Many bravos were eager to teach a Jedi Journeyer the ways of Water Dancing and considered it a great honor to have such great warriors under their tutelage. Force-sensitive Braavosi were eagerly sent away to join the ranks of the Jedi and would often return sporting the customary garb of the Jedi, decorated with the colorful fabrics of their home city.