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Chapter 224: The Faith Militant Rises
🕑 Added 2025-03-23 13:53:33 +0000 UTCOver the next few nights, Lynd stayed in the House of Black and White. During the day, with Jaqen's help, he disguised himself as different people and roamed the streets of Braavos, learning more about the city.
Braavos was a unique place—both conservative and open at the same time.
It was conservative in that it upheld numerous ancient customs and traditions. Many gods long forgotten in other parts of the world still had worshippers here, and deeply rooted beliefs shaped the daily lives of its people. Traditional customs and rigid ways of thinking exerted a constant influence over the city.
Yet, despite this conservatism, Braavos was also incredibly diverse, home to people from all corners of the world. From the mysterious and ancient Thenns of the far North beyond the Wall, to the Sothoryi from the southern lands beyond the Summer Sea, and even the YiTish from the fabled Golden Empire in the East.
One could see all manner of races in this city. It wouldn’t even be surprising if, one day, the fabled winged men—beings of legend who could soar through the skies—were spotted walking its streets.
Lynd, too, was amazed by the sheer diversity he encountered. In particular, when he saw people from Yi Ti, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. Though he knew they had no real connection to the people of his past life, their distinctly Eastern features stirred a vague sense of kinship within him.
That sentiment, however, quickly faded the moment those same YiTish men attempted to rob him. In the end, he decided to send these "compatriots" back home permanently—sparing them further suffering in this world.
As he explored Braavos, Lynd also considered—through the influence of the memories inherited from the Peacekeeper—how the city might be taken in the event of war.
His conclusion was that, with the current state of military technology, even an army of a hundred thousand would struggle to breach Braavos from the outside—at least, not without dragons. And not just any dragons, but the kind that could fly. The likes of the Cannibal—giant creatures that slithered across the land or swam through the sea—would be useless in such a siege.
Theoretically, the city could be brought down from within. While the Sealord ruled supreme, his power was not absolute. Ever since the very first Sealord, Braavos had been plagued by ceaseless power struggles. Almost every Sealord had faced multiple assassination attempts—usually orchestrated by either the Keyholders of the Iron Bank or the powerful Trade Magisters of the city.
And that was only the struggle between the Sealord and his immediate rivals. Infighting among the city’s ruling factions was just as fierce, primarily split between two camps: the old, aristocratic families of the Keyholders, who controlled the Iron Bank, and the rising class of Merchant Princes, who represented the city's emerging mercantile powers.
There were twenty-three Keyholder families in total, each holding a hereditary key to the Iron Bank. While these keys had long since become symbolic, they still granted their holders a seat in the Iron Bank’s secret council. Even a fallen house retained its influence so long as it possessed a key.
The Iron Bank controlled all trade in Braavos. Even the Merchant Princes—powerful as they were—had to follow its decrees.
Over the years, Merchant Princes had attempted countless times to infiltrate the Iron Bank, and some had succeeded in securing a few seats. Yet, control of the secret council had never shifted away from the Keyholder families.
For centuries, this silent war over the Iron Bank’s control had raged on, and there was no sign of it ever ending.
As long as conflict persisted, cracks could be widened from within, eventually leading to the city's collapse. However, this process would take decades—perhaps even a century.
Despite the difficulties of conquering Braavos—whether by external force or internal manipulation—the city was not without weaknesses. In fact, on his very first day here, Lynd had already identified Braavos’ fatal flaw.
The city was built upon atolls and scattered islands, severely lacking in fresh drinking water. Nearly all of its supply came from a single source—an elevated aqueduct known as the Sweetwater Canal, which carried fresh water from the mainland, crossing marshes and tidal flats before reaching the city.
If this aqueduct were destroyed or seized, Braavos would descend into chaos within days.
The Braavosi understood this vulnerability well and had established an elite military force dedicated to protecting it.
This guard force consisted of ten thousand well-trained soldiers, each highly skilled in combat and armed with the finest weapons and armor, capable of repelling most threats.
Additionally, Braavos had a city garrison of twenty thousand men, half of whom could be deployed to reinforce the aqueduct in times of war. This was further bolstered by the city's many mercenaries and temple guardians, making Braavos the most heavily fortified of all the Free Cities.
To the Braavosi, such a formidable military force was more than enough to secure the Sweetwater Canal.
However, that was only true for ordinary people. If Lynd were to execute an attack, his approach would be far more methodical. He would first send agents to infiltrate the aqueduct and poison the water supply, crippling the city's defenses and sowing chaos. With Braavos in a state of panic, he would then launch an assault on the aqueduct’s garrison, seize control of the water supply, and demand the city's surrender. If Braavos refused, he would simply pour wildfire into the aqueduct and set it ablaze.
The Sweetwater Canal ran through the city from south to north, feeding water into countless reservoirs and distribution points. If wildfire were introduced into the system and ignited, the entire city would be engulfed in flames, reducing Braavos to ashes as if it had been consumed by dragonfire.
Yet, even as Lynd devised this strategy, he pushed it to the back of his mind. He had no intention of using such a method unless absolutely necessary. What he wanted was an intact Braavos, not a ruin.
Fortunately, Lynd had no urgent desire to control Braavos, certainly not as much as the Disputed Lands. As long as Braavos did not obstruct him, he had no plans to take action against the city—at least, not in the immediate future.
...
While Lynd wandered through Braavos, the Sealord remained on edge, his nerves stretched taut by the possibility of conflict. Previously, his personal guard had consisted of just his First Sword and ten Death Dealers. Now, his security had been reinforced to include fifty Death Dealers and a hundred-man unit of warriors, including skilled Water Dancers.
By this point, the Sealord was certain that the archer who had taken the alias Li was, in fact, Lynd. His men quickly tracked down the guide Lynd had hired and, following the trail, located the inn where he had been staying.
But when Qarro and his men arrived, the place was empty. To them, it was obvious that Lynd had anticipated their approach and left in advance.
Frustrated, the Sealord ordered a city-wide manhunt, determined to flush him out—but to no avail.
However, this search did yield one useful insight: Lynd was almost certainly hiding somewhere on the Isle of the Gods, likely in one of the temples or shrines. More specifically, the most probable location was the Storm God's Temple, not far from the inn he had been staying at.
The Sealord’s confidence in this theory stemmed from a key piece of information. His investigators discovered that on the day of Lynd’s arrival, the Storm Priestess, Lyra, had met with a foreigner dressed in Braavosi clothing. The two had spoken at length, and their conversation had coincided precisely with the sudden emergence of thick fog in the city, followed by dark clouds and a torrential downpour.
Lynd had never openly admitted it, but nearly all of the Storm God’s followers believed him to be the deity’s living incarnation. Even the statue inside the Storm God's Temple was carved in his likeness. Given this, it made perfect sense for him to seek sanctuary there.
But sending men to search the temple was not an option. Doing so would not only provoke hostility from the Storm God's clergy but would also draw the ire of the other temples and shrines on the Isle of the Gods. Such an act would only serve to push these powerful religious factions into the arms of his enemies.
So, the Sealord had no choice but to settle for constant surveillance of the Storm God's Temple.
...
The Sealord’s drastic measures did not go unnoticed. Word quickly spread among Braavos’ elite, and soon the city’s powerful families knew exactly why he was acting so aggressively. Many of them found the situation amusing, relishing the chance to see him struggle.
After all, back at the enchanted armor exhibition, numerous attendees had already speculated that the armor’s design—so similar to that of the Storm God's statue—must be connected to Lynd. Many had even predicted that Lynd would eventually come looking for it.
Some among them had deliberately spread rumors, ensuring the news reached Summerhall, in the hopes that Lynd would arrive in Braavos and embarrass the Sealord. A public confrontation would tarnish the Sealord’s reputation, making him a laughingstock.
Yet, to their disappointment, even though the message had been sent, Lynd never reacted. It was as if he were completely unaware of the matter. After waiting in vain for any sign of his arrival, they had eventually abandoned the idea of watching the Sealord fall into disgrace.
But what they had never expected was for their wish to be granted so suddenly.
Lynd Tarran—Lord of Summerhall, Chosen of the Seven, and Incarnation of the Storm God—had arrived in Braavos, unnoticed and unannounced.
Now, all eyes turned toward the Storm God's Temple, for just like the Sealord, they too believed that was where he was hiding.
However, some speculated that Lynd might be hiding in the Sept of the Seven. As the Chosen of the Seven, his status among the Faithful had long surpassed that of the High Septon in King's Landing, making him the de facto spiritual leader of the faith. The Sept of the Seven would undoubtedly welcome him with open arms.
Still, no one even considered the possibility that Lynd was hiding in the House of Black and White. There was no known connection between him and the Faceless Men, and the House of Black and White had always remained detached from the political struggles of the city. The Faceless Men followed only the will of the Many-Faced God, taking lives as ordained, never interfering in worldly power disputes. To the people of Braavos, the idea that Lynd would take refuge there was simply unthinkable.
And yet, against all expectations, that was precisely where he had hidden himself. By day, he roamed near the Storm God's Temple in disguise, chatting casually with those spying on the temple, seamlessly blending into the daily life of Braavos.
...
On the day Lynd drank from the pool in the House of Black and White, Jaqen began to teach him the art of disguise used by the Faceless Men. According to her, surviving the pool's water was a prerequisite to becoming one of them.
Lynd, however, suspected she wasn’t telling him the full truth. Still, he could tell that Jaqen held a unique and powerful position within the House of Black and White. Teaching him their techniques seemed to have no consequences for her, so he saw no reason to refuse the knowledge.
Over the following days, he both explored the city and practiced his disguises. He had to admit, these skills were far more effective than the crude disguises he had once used. Had he possessed this ability when he left Summerhall, his identity would have never been exposed.
...
Perhaps it was the constant surveillance that finally pushed Lyra over the edge, or perhaps she saw this as the perfect opportunity to make a name for herself and prepare for the eventual founding of a Storm God cult.
During one of her sermons, she openly denounced those watching the temple, calling them blasphemers. Then, before the gathered crowd, she demonstrated her ability to summon storm clouds and command the winds.
Lynd had been nearby at the time. To enhance the display, he secretly activated the power of the Nameless King's rune, amplifying Lyra’s storm. The tempest expanded, not only enveloping the temple but sweeping over the entire city of Braavos.
Lyra, aware of Lynd’s hidden assistance, stopped the display as soon as she had made her point. She then proclaimed that she had received the Storm God's blessing and had been granted dominion over storms, solidifying her position as the High Priestess of the Storm God's Temple.
...
The event caused a massive sensation in Braavos. While the city housed temples dedicated to countless gods, and each claimed divine favor, no priest or priestess had ever openly demonstrated true divine power. What they exhibited were often little more than elaborate magical tricks.
But Lyra’s storm was no trick. The sheer scale and force of it made that clear. For the first time, the people of Braavos felt the undeniable presence of a god.
Almost overnight, the number of Storm God followers surged. Casual believers became devout, and the devout turned into zealots. Without Lyra even needing to ask, her followers clamored for the creation of an organized religious order to formalize the worship of the Storm God.
The other temples of Braavos watched with envy. Yet, even as they resented the rise of the Storm God's influence, they reaped their own benefits. If the Storm God was real, then surely the others must be as well.
This belief led to an explosion of religious fervor across the city. Not just Braavosi, but foreigners as well, flocked to their respective temples in worship. Even gods long forgotten, their idols left to gather dust in the Sanctuaries of the Lost, were brought forth once more to receive offerings.
For the first time in centuries, Braavos was truly a city of faith.
