Second Battle of Narak

The Second Battle of Narak is a major event in the days leading up to the Night of Sorrows on Roshar that ended with the Shattered Plains ending up in the hands of the listeners.
== History ==
=== Background ===
When Dalinar Kholin made the contract for the contest of champions with Odium, it was agreed that afterwards the borders would be settled as they were at the time. Rayse, the Vessel of Odium, said he would not exploit any loopholes, but when Taravangian took up the Shard, he found that he was able to exploit loopholes in the contract, since he was not fully bound by informal promises that he himself did not make. There was only one major loophole: that if he were able to take the capital of a nation, the nation would belong to him in its entirety. Thus, in an attempt to claim the Shattered Plains from the Alethi, Odium sent an army of Fused that was comprised of roughly half of all battle-ready Fused.
=== The Battle ===
==== Day 2 ====
On the second day of the countdown towards the contest, the coalition of monarchs began reinforcing Narak and learned that an army of roughly a thousand Fused and at least one thunderclast were heading towards the Shattered Plains. At a meeting later that day, it was decided that a force consisting primarily of Radiants was to be sent to fight the Fused. This force would be put under the command of the Windrunner Sigzil. Around this time, Odium placed the Fused El in charge of the army and had him bring reinforcements via the Unmade Dai-Gonarthis.
==== Day 3 ====
Sigzil spent the day with The Mink developing his battle strategy of using the unimportant plateaus, Narak Three and Narak Four, as distractions for the Fused to buy time and to protect the important Narak Prime, which was the city of Narak and Narak Two, which was the Oathgate. Narak Four would be left a bit weaker, drawing in the enemy and eventually when that plateau would fall they would draw the enemy to Narak Three.
==== Day 4 ====
Sigzil and his army of Radiants arrived at Narak. Sigzil informed the generals of the conventional forces of his plans, delivered by Ka, and had them begin to prepare for the fight ahead.
==== Day 5 ====
This was the day the battle started. Heavenly Ones changed their usual practices when it came to Windrunners and would gang up on them, rather than always engaging in single combat as they had before. They also began to drop rocks onto the defenders. Narak Four was attacked first as planned. A new brand of Fused was encountered, the Focused Ones, who had the ability to condense their bodies so that they would be very dense. Also the thunderclast Kai-garnis appeared. Dami and his team of four Shardbearers were deployed at a bridge head. El arrived with his forces at the end of the day, with Dai-Gonarthis bringing Moash with them.
==== Day 6 ====
The battle continued. Deti, a squire of Sigzil, died and spoke a Death Rattle predicting the Night of Sorrows. Sigzil called the retreat from Narak Four. They began to look out for other Unmade and Moash.
==== Day 7 ====
The Coalition started to divert the enemy to Narak Three as planned. Sigzil had Stargyle make an illusion of a gemstone store on Narak Three to draw the enemy in and make them think that they were depriving the Radiants of Stormlight, but he also made them hit Narak Prime in the meantime. The enemy hit Narak Prime as anticipated. Leyten found and engaged Moash on the north side and Sigzil raced to stop him. Unfortunately, Moash had a fabrial that canceled out Radiant powers, leaving Sigzil and Leyten powerless. Moash used an anti-Stormlight knife to kill Leyten's spren Ethenia and then Leyten, who spoke a Death Rattle foretelling Sigzil and Ethenia's deaths at Moash's hand.
==== Day 8 ====
Narak Three fell due to the might of the Fused army and the Unmade Yelig-nar. The coalition forces withdrew to Narak Two. They had received reinforcements from Jasnah, who was in Thaylen City, after it was revealed that the attack heading that way was a feint, though there was not enough Stormlight to power them. At this point the fight appeared to be increasingly likely to fail. Venli and the listeners arrived at Narak. By this point the coalition had lost sixty Radiants, including squires, more than had been lost in the entire previous year of war. Sigzil had been hoping to lure away the Fused so that they would not hold Narak Prime at the end of the ten days, but the idea was quickly ruled out. The listeners found the Well of Control and were found by the singer army, who wanted the listeners to join Odium in exchange for their survival. The listeners decided to confer before negotiating with El.
==== Day 9 ====
The listeners continued discussing El's offer. The fighting continued, with the coalition forces defending their walls against an assault of Fused when the Windrunners sent to deliver the Mink to Herdaz would arrive bringing with them some Stormlight, but no enough unfortunately. Venli reached out to Sigzil and offered her small force, but Sigzil had another idea instead. Venli and Sigzil met and talked through their ideas, but ended up contacting Jasnah for their plan. The listeners then appeared to join the singer forces as a part of the assault, acting the part without killing humans or destroying the bridges that the humans needed to retreat to Urithiru. The listeners were left a package that contained a treaty giving the Shattered Plains to the listeners' control. Before Sigzil could leave though, he was confronted by Moash, who sought to kill him. Moash was about to kill Sigzil's spren, Vienta, with his anti-Stormlight knife, so Sigzil renounced his Radiant oaths. Doing so causing Vienta to become a deadeye, but at least she then had a chance of healing (as Mayalaran hoped) rather than being destroyed entirely. Sigzil was saved from Moash by a number of Bridge Four members, and they all retreated through the Oathgate. The Fused, fearing a trick, continued watching the Oathgate and had Moash lock it down with his Blade.
==== Day 10 ====
At midday, El had his forces stop guarding the Oathgate, as the borders were then set. It was revealed that the Alethi had signed over the Shattered Plains to the listeners the day before. The terms of the treaty were rather favorable for the listeners. El took his army and left, as they had no control over the Plains. Retribution begrudgingly gave the listeners their autonomy so as to honor the contest contract and the treaty made by the listeners and Alethi. Surprisingly, a few Fused had asked to stay besides Leshwi and the other Heavenly Ones that went with her.
== Notes ==
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