Lord Wright Baratheon, known as the Lord of Ruins, announced that he would be auctioning a newly forged Valyrian steel sword in the city of Tyrosh. Once the king confirmed the authenticity of this news, nobles across Westeros who considered themselves wealthy began preparing for the trip.
Auctions were commonly used in Slaver's Bay for selling slaves, but among the Nine Free Cities, frequent rivalries made them rare. Throughout Westeros' thousands of years of history, auctions had been so infrequent they could be counted on one hand.
Families that already owned Valyrian steel swords had no intention of participating but were eager to observe the final selling price. In the past, such swords were only traded privately, with prices ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of gold dragons—never publicly disclosed. The higher the final bid, the more prestigious their own blades would become, and this auction could establish an official market price for Valyrian steel.
Those setting out for Tyrosh varied—less affluent nobles sought novelty, mid-tier nobles hoped to use the event to forge connections with greater lords, but only a handful had the wealth to truly compete for the sword.
Mace Tyrell, Lord of Highgarden, had arrived in Tyrosh ahead of time, with his son, Ser Garlan Tyrell, Lord of Bloodstone Port, accompanying him as they strolled through the city.
"I still can't get used to this place. It gives me the chills… Look! It's staring at us again!" Mace muttered to his son, unbuttoning his collar to ease his discomfort as he glanced at the enormous blue magical eye atop the city's tallest structure.
"Father, Lord Wright is the most powerful sorcerer in the world. He's always creating new marvels. Stay a few more days, and you'll get used to it," Garlan reassured him.
"Are we heading outside the south gate now?" Mace asked.
"The southern outskirts are just tent camps for the slaves," Garlan replied. "I'm heading to the Lord's castle for a meeting. You're welcome to sit in and listen."
Tyrosh had become a massive construction site, bustling with activity as thousands of slaves from Volantis worked tirelessly. The air echoed with the clang of chisels striking stone.
Two structures had been completed first: the clock tower in the main district and the "Eye of Wright" lighthouse atop the highest point of the city. One served to keep time for the city's inhabitants, while the other guided ships at sea. Only after completing these two essential projects did the workforce begin spreading out to construct other facilities.
Originally, the Eye of Wright hadn't looked like this. When the lighthouse was first completed, Wright announced that everyone should witness its grand unveiling after dinner.
That evening, he eagerly infused the structure with his magic. The people of Tyrosh watched as an enormous eye materialized in the dark sky. Its outer rim burned with crimson magical flames, while the black vertical pupil swiveled continuously, scanning the city. Whenever it locked eyes with someone, they felt as if their very soul was being drawn into it.
The reaction was immediate—and overwhelming. From the highest lords to the lowliest slaves, every single person in Tyrosh protested in unison. It was too damned terrifying! Those caught in its gaze claimed they couldn't sleep for days. Even birds in the sky fled in terror.
To avoid disrupting the city's development, Wright was forced to compromise. In peacetime, the eye's color would be changed to blue, with a round pupil instead of a vertical slit. If an unknown enemy approached Tyrosh, the eye would turn yellow. In times of war, it would revert to its original blood-red form. Only then did the city's inhabitants finally accept it.
With the lighthouse complete, Wright halted work on his main castle for the time being, building only a few temporary cottages nearby for residence. Instead, he prioritized the construction of the castle's smithy.
One of these temporary cottages had been converted into a small meeting hall, capable of accommodating several dozen people if they squeezed in. Today, Wright had summoned all the vassals of the Stepstones for a development conference.
Garlan entered the hall and took a seat at the long meeting table, where the lords of the other islands had already gathered. Along the walls, numerous maesters from the Citadel occupied additional chairs. Mace found a spot near the wall and sat down casually.
Seated at the head of the table, Wright pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. "Alright, everyone is here. Let's begin."
"First, I want to inform you all that the Citadel has complied with my request—every maester in the Stepstones has been replaced with younger Maester. Some of them may be unfamiliar to you, so let's start with introductions."
These maesters were assigned to the various island lords. Originally, the Citadel had sent both older and younger maesters, but since traveling anywhere in the Stepstones required taking a ship, the older ones struggled with the constant journeys. Utilizing his connections within the upper ranks of the Citadel, Wright had the elderly maesters replaced with younger ones.
Wright: "Alright, today we have only one topic—how to develop the Stepstones! This place is nothing but ruins, which has both drawbacks and advantages. The advantage is that we are situated at a major trade route—if we plan wisely, we can make money effortlessly! The drawback is that we have to start everything from scratch, and maintaining a stable revenue will take at least two years!"
The phrase "making money effortlessly" instantly caught the attention of every lord. As expected, following Wright promised great benefits!
"First, I'll explain the development plan for Tyrosh, and then I'll go over the plans for each of your islands."
Wright pointed at the map of the Stepstones behind him.
"Tyrosh's inner city is divided into several districts: the Lord castle, the high-grade alchemy workshop, and the magic School. Aside from the completed lighthouse, the Lord castle currently has no other facilities.
There are two alchemy workshops in Tyrosh. One is located at the southernmost point of the island, where 'wildfire' will be researched and produced. Because of its high risk, it must be kept far from the main city, with a military camp stationed nearby for protection. The other workshop, near the Lord castle, will focus on high-grade alchemical research and can also be used in conjunction with the magic academy's teachings.
I have already discussed with the king, and Westeros will have three magic School. Those with average magical talent may study at the Citadel, while the most gifted will receive invitations to the School in King's Landing. Tyrosh's magic academy, however, will only accept those who have already been certified as mages for advanced studies and research."
"That sounds excellent!"
"In time, Tyrosh will be full of mages."
At the Citadel, anyone with magical talent could enroll, but if one's talent was too low, they might spend their entire life learning magic only to be able to chill a cup of water. Wright had no intention of supporting them at this early stage. Once they graduated and obtained official mage qualifications, they would have basic theoretical knowledge and could either serve lords across the realm or come to Tyrosh for further studies. Even if they fared poorly, they could still work in the alchemy workshops, earning money for Wright. A handful of particularly sharp individuals might even form research teams and develop something new.
The King's Landing School operated on an invitation basis, admitting noble-born or wealthy students, while exceptionally gifted commoners would also receive invitations. Wright had no illusions about changing the deeply ingrained divide between nobles and commoners in Westerosi society.
Tyrosh's magic School would serve as a place for further specialization. Those who had already completed their studies at the other two academies would have promising futures, but some would seek to deepen their understanding of magic. Since Wright was currently the sole authority on magical theory and application in Westeros, it made sense to gather these scholars in Tyrosh rather than travel back and forth between King's Landing and Tyrosh himself.
He originally considered implementing a four-year study program, with graduates receiving the title of Grand Mage. However, since magic had only recently emerged in Westeros, true mastery was still rare. Wright decided against the idea for now—he didn't want unqualified mages tarnishing the profession's reputation.
Wright: "Now that we've covered my inner city, let's talk about Tyrosh's main city. Each of our islands is neither particularly large nor small, and focusing entirely on agriculture is unrealistic. Instead, we should develop industries that require minimal land but yield high value.
Tyrosh will focus on producing watches, umbrellas, brewing, weapons and armor manufacturing, banking, and transshipment trade, while also supporting lodging, dining, entertainment, and ship resupply businesses."
"What is an umbrella?" Garlan Tyrell asked.
Wright: "An umbrella is a new product I've invented. It allows a person to shield themselves from the rain—a high-tech innovation!"
"That sounds like... a tent," Ashara muttered under her breath.
Thwap! A small paper ball bounced off her head.