Defalisu

Defalisu (DEH-fahl-LEE-SOO) (formerly known as Tevlaistu) is a city in the Faesdaela region of the Ousilic Valley region of Carasala. It is located at the confluence of the Sadobaria and Doucusa Rivers, spanning both sides of the Sadobaria. It is the capital of the modern Kingdom of Fasdaela and the second most populous city in the Ousilic region, behind Bincaraelaen, with a population of 94,000. In addition to the royal court, the city has large marketplaces and a busy river port. The city is quite poor compared to its past, however, due to loss of travel and trade in the post-imperial period.

## Etymology

The original name for the settlement (Tevlaistu) comes from Ousilic Rigini *tevlai* ("three") and *stu* ("river(s)"). The site is near the confluence of the Biamiasu River with the Doucusa and on the confluence of the Sadobaria and the Doucusa, and is approximately the meeting point for three rivers. The name was later Noulaenicized in Middle Noulaenic as Defalaithadu, which has since been corrupted to Defalisu.

## History

The confluence of the rivers was known as Tevlaistu in pre-historic times but the area was not settled until significantly later. The area near Defalisu was a border region between tribes for most of the pre-historical and early historical period, as both the Sadobaria River and the Biamiasu River are challenging to ford. As such, no permanent settlements were built in this area during this time. Beginning in the 4th century BNE, trade between the region's peoples and Haraklina, primarily for slaves and livestock, led to increased long-distance travel through the valley, however, and traders traveling from the upper Ousilic Valley often tried to cross the Sadobaria, which is the only unfordable river that flows into the Doucusa from the north, so that they could reach the route to the relatively easy Daua hills crossing at Filou Pass. This crossing was treacherous, however, so locals decided to build a cable ferry across the Sadobaria River to profit from the travelers in 342 BNE, and a small community grew around the ferry. A mythic tradition claims that the cable ferry was first created by the mythic hero Miaizou during his travels but this story is a relatively modern invention as the story of Miaizou well predates the cable ferry by many centuries.

The cable ferry enriched the town and it grew into a relatively sizable (for the area) city of roughly 18,000 by the first century BNE. The chief of the main tribe that founded the city, the Zautoushliae tribe, increasingly moved to govern the city, although under traditional Rigini culture laws he only had authority over his own tribe and could only assert informal authority over other residents of the city through his control of large Zautoushliae militant groups. In 98 NE, Chief Tsautrebriae decided to formally establish his authority over the city by declaring himself a king, creating the title *nitai* from the equivalent Haraklina word *nita*. He compelled other chiefs based in the area to submit to his authority through force and the threat of force, though they retained direct authority over their tribes. His grandson, Tsautrebriae II, decided to further cement his position as being above and separate from the tribal system by renouncing his claim as Chief of the Zautoushliae tribe to his brother in 115 NE.

As trade along the valley increasing moved to barges during the first century BNE and first century NE, the city developed a river port to service barges and continued to benefit from trade. The cable ferry was replaced with a bridge, then the longest bridge in Carasala, in 142 NE.

By the end of the second century NE, Tevlaistu was a thriving regional center with a population of 33,000 and the kings of the city commanded control of a substantial amount of the surrounding pasture land. The city was built up considerably with stone architecture in the Haraklina style, though no city walls were constructed. The city's armed forces, consisting of Rigini style fast, light cavalry, were feared throughout the region and frequently practiced slave raids in the surrounding area to enrich the kingdom.

In 212 NE, under the reign of King Zautoubrioo Chleshre (later recorded as Zautoubrio Shlesre in Imariani), the kingdom of Tevlaistu developed a modified version of the Haraklina alphabet that added diacritic symbols to indicate vowel sounds to the Haraklina characters, which lacked vowel symbols. This script, known as the Ousilic script, spread throughout the Ousilic region and other Rigini speaking lands to the east. The script was later banned in Ousilia but derived scripts are still in use in Ializa and Imaria today. Some examples of Ousilic script exist in inscriptions, primarily in the less populous Silaric Hill regions, but the script bares little resemblance to modern variants and is not understood by modern peoples.

Tevlaistu fought against the Noulaenic invasion of Ousilia but their forces failed to stop the gradual advance of the Noulaenic army. The city, which was still not walled, was taken after a bloody battle in 444 NE. Much of the city's population fled to the east before Noulian occupied the city, joining a flood of war refugees who would later migrate to modern Imaria.

Noulian walled the eastern half city shortly after its conquest and constructed a second, stronger bridge across the Sadobaria in 446 NE. The western half of the city was walled as well in 447 NE. Noulian constructed a substantial fortress within the city to guard the bridges and built a second fortress outside the north wall to command the nearby fords across the river. The city's port was improved as well and served as the main base of the empire's river fleet during the first empire.

The city continued to thrive as a trading point for both overland and barge-based trade and grew to be the main population center in Ousilia, with the population growing almost continually to as high as 242,000 shortly before the collapse of the empire in the region. The planned city of Bincaraelaen, built in 572 NE, eventually surpassed Defalisu as the main population center of the region but its presence, along with the Bincaraelmaec Bridge it was named after, served to increase regional trade and increase the prosperity of Defalisu.

The farmers of the surrounding region saw relatively few of the benefits from trade, however, and generally resented the wealth of Defalisu and the rule of the empire. Rumors began to circulate in the 760s NE that the imperial county goverment in Bincaraelaen was planning the forced depopulation of the valley in order to provide more land for Noulaenic veterans, as had been previously done in Dersialdara County, and that the Noulaenic forces in Defalisu were preparing to carry out this forced migration. A peasant rebellion broke out in the nearby Daradaela region in 764 NE and Faesdaelic rebels soon began to organize as well.

Defalisu resisted the rebels briefly but the city walls were not built to withstand prolonged assault and the Noulaenic garrison was forced to retreat into the two fortresses as rebels overran the walls in 765 NE. The city was looted and burned and the fortresses were breached using Noulaenic weapons seized by rebels at nearby Sadobariamen. The garrison was slaughtered and many of the city's Ousilic residents were killed as well in the attack.

The rebellion was disorganized and several rival leaders attempted to claim the title of King of Ousilia, including Liamiathios Fiafal, a peasant farmer from the Sadobaria valley who had led the assault on Defalisu. He led a further assault on Bincaraelaen, which failed, and soon fell into fighting with rival Ousilic warlords. Liamiathios signed a treaty with the king of Daradaela and the mayor of Bincaraelaen in 768 that recognized the split of the western portion of the valley into three kingdoms. He signed a treaty with the king of Caliabisia in 770 that recognized the split between Faesdaela and Caliabisia as well.

Liamiathios remaining territory in Faesdaela lacked a large population center and had few fortified settlements due to the sack of Defalisu and Liamiathios had little choice but to rebuild the city he had recently burned to use as his capital. He remained at Sadobariamen until the central fortress of Defalisu was rebuilt in 774 NE and then moved his court to the city. He re-arranged the walls around the eastern portion of the city so that the northern fortress was inside the walls, using stone scavenged from the demolished western walls.

Defalisu was only partially rebuilt but the population and economy did not recover during the inter-imperial period. Fortifications were built to defend the western terminus of the Noulaenic bridge but the older bridge was demolished and the western half of the city was abandoned. The walls for the eastern half were improved but the city was generally stagnant otherwise. Trade and travel were minimal during this time and Defalisu was relatively poor.

Defalisu was besieged by Caliabisia twice during the inter-imperial period, in 802 NE and 1012 NE. The first siege was broken by Faesdaelic forces from elsewhere in the kingdom, who succeeded in repelling the invaders and restoring Faesdaelic territorial integrity. The second siege was only broken with assistance from Bincaraelaen, and at a heavy price, as Faesdaela ceded most of its territory south of the Doucusa to Bincaraelaen in return for assistance.

Another war with Caliabisia, begun in 1214 NE precipitated the surrender of Defalisu and the rest of Faesdaela to the second Noulaenic Empire. The Caliabisic forces were advancing into Faedaelic territories after several key victories and were closing in on Defalisu. Imperial forces from Bincaraelaen, an imperial vassal since 1215 NE, began moving into Faesdaelic territory as well, ostensibly to defend their holdings from the eventual Caliabisic advance. The final king of the inter-imperial Faesdaelic kingdom, Aesis VI, fled the city before the Caliabisic forces arrived to surround it and surrendered to Noulaenic forces in 1221, renouncing his claim to the throne and swearing fealty to the emperor. He was permitted to live and emigrate to Dersialdara along with his family upon renunciation of his throne, where he was later given the title Mayor of Noucaelaen Towwnship.

Bincaraelaenic forces continued to advance and most remaining Faesdaelic nobles joined forces with them, swearing fealty to the Count of Doucusada and joining their forces with his. Defalisu was relieved by this joint force at the Battle of Defalisu in 1223 and the force was welcomed into the city, which once more became formally a township of Doucusada County, as it had been during the first empire.

The second imperial period saw a revival of travel and trade through the region and Defalisu was once more a busy port and trading post. The western side of the river was built up once more and the norther fortress was converted into a fortified palace complex for the mayor. The city's hospitality industry thrived and the city became known as a the culinary capital of the region. Defalisu was once more a wealthy, cosmopolitan city and its population rose as high as 394,000 before the Plague of 1741.

The Plague of 1741 hit the city hard, however, and nearly a third of the population died. Travel and trade were both significantly reduced in the aftermath and the city entered a long period of economic and population decline from which it has never fully recovered.

Trade in the region was further hampered by a conflict between the Count of Doucusada in Bincaraelaen and the Viscount of Daradaela in Miabarosia, which shut down travel through the region from 1812-1817 NE. Imperial impotence in the region was laid bare by its failure to resolve this conflict and local lords began to assert more control over the region, hampering travel and trade.

The region fell into civil war again after news that Falea had broken from the empire reached Ousilia in 2055 and local lords moved to follow suite. Daradaela declared itself and independent kingdom in 2057, prompting renewed hostilities between the Count in Bincaraelaen and Daradaela, as the count attempted to reassert his authority. Pleas for help from the emperor in Carasilaen were unanswered, however, so the Count of Doucusada declared himself King of Doucusada and continued his effort to reclaim lordship of Daradaela.

The war continued for over a decade and decimated the economy of Ousilia. The situation worsened when Caliabisia declared independence in 2065 and forces, mostly from the Fasdaelic region, were ordered to subdue the region. The mayors of Fasdaela, as it was then known, subsequently rebelled as well, signing an armistice with Caliabisia and declaring Fasdaela an independent kingdom as well, making Dafalisu once more a royal capital seat. Peace with Bincaraelaen was restored in 2068, though not permanently.

Warfare has continued in the region and widespread poverty has once more overtaken nearly all of Ousilia, including Defalisu. The city remains the main regional river port and marketplace, however, and is relatively well off compared to the surrounding farmland. The city retains its unique culinary traditions and is a popular vacation destination for Fasdaelic nobles, though most Fasdaelic people are too poor to travel. The current population if 94,000, making it the second largest city in Ousilia.