Good morning everyone. By now, you should be aware that chance plays a major role in history – if not the main one. Today I will try to prove that again by telling you about one event where bad fortune doomed a whole city. It begins this way…
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Brakwater, year 434 of Era III
In the year 432 of the Third Era, the Sapiarch of the South made the unwise decision to attack Eastern realms, seeking restoration of the old colonies. The Mixblood Duchies were not able to resist long, and a year into the conflict the armies reached southern Revenith. Their first goal was to take control of Brakwater, the core city in the far part of the Empire and one of the major harbors by the Lake. The army had no means to take the city immediately, so instead, they besieged it. The citizens defended efficiently in the first days, so the attackers had to remain patient and wait for a breakthrough.
After two months of siege, the defenders started to become exhausted. There was no hope of the imperial army joining quickly, as it was not immediately ready for war, and passage to the southern provinces was restricted not only by terrain, but also by rebels gathered by the Lake’s eastern shores. Fortunately, they managed to send northward a ship carrying a call for help to their fellows in other realms. After eight days, it reached the distant fortified city of Northern Shore. The delegation begged the predominantly Northman population for help in the siege. The bargaining was not easy, but after a few days of negotiation they reached agreement.
A shipment was prepared with cannons, ammunition, food and several pieces of intelligence gathered by the Northern army, which they sold very reluctantly. The ship departed for Brakwater as soon as it was ready. The people in the city waited impatiently, uncertain of the outcome of potential negotiation. As they had no further information, they could not know what happened later – and what spelled their end. The ship navigated safely until the last day of its journey. When it was already within a day’s time from the destination, dark clouds gathered and an immense storm began. The crew had to roll the sails in order to avoid capsizing the ship, so they lost most control over it and could only hope for the best.
Unfortunately, what happened was not what they hoped for. The wind blasted their ship against rocks in shallow water, causing a major leak. The captain and crew were hopeless – they noticed the ship would inevitably sink, and so they rushed into lifeboats and rowed away to relative safety. Many survived, but the cargo had been lost to the Lake.
In Brakwater, panic had come, and hopelessness after it. There was no sight of any incoming ships, and neither of the Emperor’s armies from other provinces. They were running short on resources and weapons. Finally, after almost four months in siege, they decided to surrender. The Sapiarch’s soldiers were not merciful – they entered the city and slaughtered hundreds, recalling the events from Dora centuries earlier.
The imperial army reached Brakwater twenty days later, and decisively won over the Southern soldiers. However, this would not bring back those who had died after the siege. And it was not anyone’s fault – just real bad luck. Thank you for today.
Aedilër 