Chapter 4, part 1: Droinstea, the hidden cornerstone of Sertian culture
Owing to its institutional status as a literary and cultural centre, however small, the town of Droinstea (pronounced thrin-stay) currently sees no shortage of wealthy residents and visitors. Indeed, it is one of the most expensive places to live in Sertia.
Leaving the front of the train station, the contrast with Plariaras was extreme. Instead of din, there was peace; where there was a slight grime in the air, there was now the smell of seawater. Small stone streets wove away from the station plaza. Wealthy residents walked their manicured dogs around the fountain in the centre of the plaza.
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There is a protection order in place for all of the buildings in Droinstea. Landlords are not allowed to do any significant work that would damage the historicity of any buildings, and as a result there has been little real growth in terms of the size of the buildings or the town itself. However, this is one place in Sertia where you can really have a glimpse at the nation in its heyday--a paradise of the high society.
Droinstea has been inhabited on and off for at least 1500 years, though around the turn of the 7th century AD it was abandoned for an unknown reason. It was rehabilitated throughout the late 800s. According to the Alimrede (written alongside the Sertian Domex in 1224), this was due to the great wealth the town had inherited from finding primeval hordes of silver and gold.
In 940 AD, a Begreathum (today called "Braetha") named Lodith of Droinstea declared the town independent of the local Yttrevir queendom. This angered Queen Yttrevis, for the town was an important trade hub and supported the economy of the Queendom. Yttrevis was also planning to build a palace for her son there, so that it would become the new seat of power when she died.
In 941, Yttrevis sent her armies through Tremaras to wrangle Droinstea from Lodith's control. Lodith fled the city to the South and headed for the neighbouring kingdom of Prew, where he hoped to find refuge with his sister (who had married Prince Zabe, the heir). All this was unbeknownst to Yttrevis, whose army pillaged the town looking for Lodith. However, not very much damage was done from this as Yttrevis' army had been instructed not to disturb the villagers so she could gain favour in the town more easily. She successfully took control of Droinstea on August 4th, 941 and reincorporated the town as a part of Yttrevir.
The reincorporation didn't last long, however, for when Lodith reached the kingdom of Prew and told King Erawa what had happened, he saw the chance to establish influence in an important economic hub and expand his kingdom. He also saw Lodith as a weak leader and easy to take advantage of, having abandoned his city instead of staying and fighting for his people. If Erawa could take control of Droinstea and declare it a non-contiguous part of Prew, he'd then have a foot in the door to further diminish Yttrevis' power.
So it was decided. King Erawa was to take Droinstea. The day came on April the 20th, 943, when Erawa's army marched to the edge of Tremaras, awaiting reinforcements from Briswick in the south. Queen Yttrevis had an advantage in Tremaras, however. She was the "Queen of Tremaras", her army was sophisticated in warfare within these harsh conditions. Erawas had had no way to train his army in this environment, either, for Yttrevis had a hold of all of the marshland.
Erawas came up with a plan. Calling upon Lodis, Erawas sent him, along with a small group of soldiers, to burn down the newly built Prince's palace in Droinstea. It was considered one of the most architecturally sophisticated and beautiful buildings in Sertia, purportedly designed to be seen for many miles in all directions. It was a temple of wealth and represented the unequivocal influence of the Queen of Tremaras upon her people.
On the night of 1 May 943, Lodis and a few soldiers snuck into the palace and burnt it to the ground. Yttrevis' son, the Prince of Yttrevir, was inside and perished in the fire. Yttrevis lost all morale and surrendered Droinstea to Erawas' forces.
The loss of Droinstea palace is, to this day, considered a major tragedy. It was the tallest earthen structure at least in the western hemisphere, and pioneered the technology of Sertian water-proofing, a tradition that is still used in Sertian buildings today. Even more tragically, whilst there have been efforts and advocacy for its rebuilding, this project is embroiled in controversy. Advocates say it would demonstrate the genius of Sertian engineers, whilst detractors say it would be a symbol of dispute and partisanship that has been so relevant in Sertian politics through the ages.
The reason I mention the fountain in the plaza outside the train station is that if you dig underneath it, some say, you will find the ruins of Droinstea palace.
