Welcome back to class. Let’s talk about clothes, shall we? Compared to all the battles and heroes you know, they might seem like a tiny detail, hardly important to human life, let alone historical events. But mind that details is where evil lies. On one occasion, a piece of clothing caused so much discord that it split a country for a significant period. How did that come to be? Let’s just have a look…
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Nyther’s Hold, year 1386 of Era II
Carthen, the first ruler of the Cape and the ancestor of a long lineage of emperors of Revenith, was fondly remembered by the inhabitants of the two kingdoms in the southern shores – which cannot be said about his image in any other country. One of the most important commemorations of the leader in Both Capes was his ornamented shirt, displayed in various places throughout its history. In the 14th century of the Second Era, it was stored in the Governor’s Palace in the fortress-turned-city of Nyther’s Hold.
The city chancellor, responsible for valuables kept in the Palace, noticed that the artifact had deteriorated despite being kept in relatively good conditions. He decided that it needed to be repaired by a tailor. First, he had to obtain the king’s permission, as it was an item of national importance. This took over twenty days, but eventually, the royal office issued a written permit with the national seal. The chancellor immediately sent the shirt to the best tailor in the city.
And that is where trouble began. The tailor did his best job, but he was intimidated by the importance of the item, so he decided to send it to another craftsman that resided and worked in the nearby duchy of Lakkunin. The second tailor had a similar feeling, so for mere certainty he relayed it further, to Taervin. The chain went on, and the shirt travelled through many hands, each applying some kind of modification. More than a year passed before it returned to the origin, and the total cost generated exceeded the expectations tenfold.
The most troubling part, however, was the shirt itself. It had been so heavily altered by all the tailors that it hardly resembled its previous self. This sparked controversy among the nobles of the city. The chancellor defended the project, as he did not want to admit failure. He had support from a fraction of the local nobility, but most took a critical stance on the issue. After a month, the debate on the historical item turned into one about all management of the public treasure.
The conflict kept escalating, and much of public business practically ceased to exist due to the decision makers being involved in heated dispute. Eventually, it reached the critical point: one of the chancellor’s opponents was murdered, and others accused the government faction of organizing the crime. The chancellor and his supporters denied all accusations, but it was already too late. Over a dozen nobles, some serving important functions, departed for the eastern provinces, outside of Edae, and announced their own order in the region. Even though most commoners did not feel that, the kingdom had been broken once again after 500 years of unity.
Reconciliation was unachievable for a long time. The grudge among the nobility was very deep, and the king’s calls to resolve the situation were futile. Eventually, only death was able to overcome the issue – the successors of the rebellious nobles were more eager to cooperate, and in the end terminated the conflict without many specific conditions attached. And the worst part is that Carthen’s shirt was forgotten for a long time and wouldn’t be displayed to the public for the next three centuries.
Thank you.
Aedilër 