Second Maiden Fort

Second Maiden Fort was one of three fortresses in northwestern Lether which defended the mouth of Katter Bight. The other two fortresses were First Maiden Fort and Third Maiden Fort. Spyrock Island and Tour's Spit were the nearest points of land lying between it and Second Maiden Fort.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 16, US HC p.463-464
It was a penal fortress situated on an island just south of The Reach Peninsula and had a garrison of six hundred indicted soldiers. Children were born to prisoners on the isle,Reaper's Gale, Chapter 8, US HC p.195/196 suggesting its population was multi-generational. High cliffs surrounded the island except for the entrance to the high-walled harbour.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 12, US HC p.337 The fortress featured massive fortifications and towers with lines of sight and fire arcs facing land and sea. Every available space was crowded with huge ballistae, mangonels, and scorpions. More miniature forts clung to rock-pile islands in the harbour, each festooned with signal flags and supported by ten-man pursuit galleys.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 8, US HC p.193 
The island's port town was characterised by winding cobbled streets and decrepit slate-roofed buildings which leaned and sagged.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 16, US HC p.470Reaper's Gale, Chapter 20, US HC p.601 It was the location of Harridict Tavern which served the prison guards.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 10, US HC p.259 
==Notable residents==
*Ballant
*Brevity
*Brullyg
*Pithy
==In Midnight Tides==
As relations between the Kingdom of Lether and the Tiste Edur broke down, Preda Unnutal Hebaz ordered Second Maiden Fort's prisoners retrained.Midnight Tides, Chapter 14, US SFBC p.430 Early in the war, massive Edur fleets forced the abandonment of First Maiden Fort and the surrender of Fent Reach.Midnight Tides, Chapter 15 After the fall of Trate, rumours spread in the defeated city of a stubborn resistance on Second Maiden Fort. Supposedly a half-thousand convicted soldiers, among whom was a sorcerer who had once rivaled Ceda Kuru Qan himself, had repelled a succession of Edur attacks.Midnight Tides, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.567
== In Reaper's Gale ==
The prisoners rebelled, disposing of their warden and guards before declaring the island an independent state with Brullyg, pretender to the Shake throne, as their nominal ruler. Edur warships were deterred from attempting to take the island by the sight of the fortress' fortifications and the mages on its walls.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 8, US HC p.195-196 
The island was sacred to the Shake people, who called it simple "The Isle". At one time, before the sea's waters had risen, it had been connected to the mainland and the other Three Maiden islands by land bridges. The Shake used the island's high cliffs for their practice of infanticide when their children were born with strong taints of demonic blood. Children with lizard-like features were cast from the cliffs into the sea.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 12, US HC p.337 The Shake recorded their calendar as the "Year of the Isle" with the most current year numbering around 2113.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 14, US HC p.391
Brullyg hoped to make himself sole ruler of the Shake. He planned to cast off the Letherii yoke and declare the island's independence, making it a new centre for his people.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 17, US HC p.521-522Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.349 But his plans began to go awry when the collapse of Gothos's ancient Omtose Phellack ritual sent mountains of ice crashing into the Katter Bight. Only the magic of a handful of Malazan visitors held the ice back and prevented the island's complete destruction. In gratitude, Brullyg made the strangers royal guests and they, in turn, disarmed him and placed him under secret house arrest in his former palace. Balm's squad kept guard over Brullyg, with the voluptuous Masan Gilani keeping him aroused and the terrifying Sinn keeping him cowed.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.349-350/352
Sergeant Cord's squad patrolled the island. He regularly ordered Crump to dig deep holes on the island to keep him out of trouble. In one instance, Crump discovered a layer of infant skulls that began to stir as the Sapper uncovered them. Ebron quickly ordered the hole refilled.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 16, US HC p.470 Telorast and Curdle were terrified to discover that Kilmandaros had long ago "walked here",Reaper's Gale, Chapter 16, US HC p.467 although it was unclear whether they referred to the island or Lether in general.
When Shurq Elalle was forced to make port on the island because of the ice, she quickly became suspicious of the strangers surrounding Brullyg and forced her way into an audience. Soon she too was prisoner.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 8, US HC p.192-196Reaper's Gale, Chapter 10, US HC p.259-262Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.352-354 By the time Adjunct Tavore Paran arrived to make the island her headquarters, Yan Tovis had made her way to the island as well to declare herself Queen of the Shake. Yan Tovis negotiated for the Malazans to depart and recognise her sovereignty over the island. She denied the right of the coven to choose her king and ordered Yedan Derryg to throw Brullyg out a window. Brullyg demanded Tavore protect him for his cooperation and send him to the mainland. Tavore thanked him for his help, but left him behind when the army departed.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 17, US HC p.521-523Reaper's Gale, Chapter 20, US HC p.608
Second Maiden Fort was also the site of Phaed's attempted murder of Sandalath Drukorlat. After Phaed perished in the attempt, Nimander Golit and his kin built a tomb for her on the island. Afterwards, Clip came to the island claiming it was time to bring them to Anomander Rake.Reaper's Gale, Epilogue, US HC p.824-825
==Notes and references==
Category:Fortresses
Category:Lether