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Iron Bank
The Iron Bank of Braavos is a financial institution based in the Free City of Braavos that dates back several thousand years. It is considered to be the most established, powerful bank in the known world.
Having amassed an unimaginable amount of wealth and influence over the millennia, the bank is regarded by many to be the true power in the world, with the ability to raise or topple kings and kingdoms across Essos and Westeros. "The Iron Bank will have its due," it's said in Braavos.?
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History
In an era that predates the Doom of Valyria, escaped slaves from the Valyrian Freehold founded a secret city they named Braavos. For over a hundred years, this city remained hidden from the Valyrian empire, blossoming into a society of successful traders. Eventually, having gained enough wealth and power, the leaders of Braavos revealed themselves to the world.
During this time, 23 influential citizens of Braavos began to store their valuables inside of an abandoned iron mine. In the decades that followed, a bank was formed to use this accumulated wealth productively, and it soon grew to become a cornerstone of Braavosi society.
Thousands of years later, the Iron Bank (taking its name from its humble origins as an iron mine) has become the richest organization in the world, surpassing even the combined riches of every other Free City bank.
The Iron Bank has been responsible for many political machinations over the centuries, although it holds no allegiances or ideologies beyond the pursuit of more wealth.
The Iron Bank & The Iron Throne
The Iron Bank of Braavos became much more involved in Westerosi politics following Robert's Rebellion, and the subsequent crowning of Robert Baratheon as the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.
Due to King Robert's excesses and his general lack of regard for the duties of ruling, the Iron Throne quickly ran out of funds and began to borrow money. By the time Eddard Stark is made Hand of the King, the Iron Throne has borrowed upwards of 6 million Gold Dragons, under the oversight of the Master of Coin Petyr Baelish. Approximately half of this sum was owed to House Lannister, with millions more borrowed from the Iron Bank of Braavos.
The influence of Tywin Lannister managed to temporarily keep the Iron Bank from collecting on this debt, even as it ballooned further during the War of the Five Kings.
Following Tywin's death, the Iron Bank lost faith in House Lannister's ability to eventually repay this debt. The bank subsequenlty provided funds for?Stannis Baratheon's rebellion against the Iron Throne, on the promise that the debt would be honored should Stannis take the throne.?
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However, after Stannis is defeated in the north, the Iron Bank redoubled its efforts to collect from the Lannisters, calling for a tenth of the total sum to be paid immediately. Mace Tyrell, then the Master of Coin, notes that Iron Throne would at most be able to pay half this amount.
After further turmoil officially places Cersei Lannister on the Iron Throne, the Iron Bank sends an envoy, Tycho Nestoris, to Westeros negotiate with the new ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.
To placate the bank, Cersei asks for a fortnite to acquire the funds, after which she will finally repay the debt in full. To do so, Cersei dispatches a Lannister-led army that sacks Highgarden, claiming the wealth of House Tyrell.