The Stepstones

[https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/BEdC8gorjHziVTGANBrk4pYYKtN6-H9SUbQPRjplOZlrkVm0prDsaOs4gK_tKxhzaNPyzriUAE2QeHYoVRHxYwHOn4S-172jlLpYnOyR7AIrh-7S8_MFGK86Gn14xOzu6ksPw0vAcJrwS4Ij1A]

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

The island chain of the Stepstones is a lawless region, with 9 major islands each with their own pirate lord, using the rocky islands as hideouts and bases from which to attack trading ships passing through the region. From time to time the Free Cities send sellswords to attempt to clear out the pirate layers, but these men are often more likely to join the pirates then destroy them, and on the rare occasions an island is cleared of pirates….they always seem to return. Rocky and poor, these islands offer little wealth on their own, but their position at the crossroads of Essos and Westeros give them strategic value to any that would control them.