Fort Dale

Fort Dale is one of the oldest continuously used fortifications in the Hales, dating back to the early days of the Hallenic-Lauch trade.

## History

### Background

The advent of a trading relation between the Hallenic-Lauchette states brought massive wealth to both nations. The usage of the cog, a reliable and spacious vessel that could accommodate both the heavily desirable northern timbers and the salt fish of the South meant that trading families on both sides benefited heavily. Yet, advances in navigation tied these cogs close to the coasts, and upon these coasts were jealous clans of swampmen who had been excluded from the newfound prosperity.

### As a provision point

Point Dale, as it was known, had an advantageous position at the end of an easily defended peninsula. The waters which surrounded it meant that it could be easily defended from a maritime perspective, and ships were always present in the region because it was the shortest distance that could be crossed by seafaring navigators of the time. Clever merchants, and the Count of Dale, seized upon the opportunity by building rudimentary facilities for ship crews to stop and resupply; it was a well known occurrence for ship crews to be murdered when they moored on unprotected shores by the Swamp clans.

The clever merchants and local landowners richly benefited from their ideal position and were accoladed by the Emperor for their effort in securing the highly profitable trade route.

Unknown to the Count of Dale and the merchants was that the swamp clans at the periphery of the peninsula had set a target upon the lightly defended Point. Despite reports of unusually sparse Swampmen attacks on ships that chose to bypass the Point, officials took no action and simply thought the Swampmen had wisened up to their barbarism. However, according to Swampmen lore, the local tribals were furious that the Treaty of Two Pines, realized three generations ago, was spurned in favor of coin and wealth. For this transgression the tribes would brutally remind the Hallenics in blood.

#### Massacre at the Point or the St. Agathude's Day Massacre

Three days prior to St. Agathude's Day, the Swamp tribes gathered under the leadership of Kie-Isk-Warkgek formed a warband the likes of which would put the garrison of New Steinberg to fear. Estimated to have been about a thousand warriors strong in number, the Swampmen organized themselves into two waves.

##### The first wave

The first wave of Swampmen painted themselves in vertical, narrow red stripes. They were armed with spears, throwing spears, and axes. Among them were Swampmen who had prior bought Lauchette liquor, known for its flammability, and doused themselves in it so they could set buildings ablaze better. Easily overcoming the pathetic palisade that surrounded the fort, the swampmen were repulsed from the walls by a valiant and Andophically blessed defense by the inhabitants, visitors, and defenders of the Point. They would however, retreat into the forest to regroup. The two-hundred fifty strong force would be slimmed down to about thirty, but what awaited the defenders would be far worse.

##### The second wave

The second wave of Swampmen consisted of members of the first, but new ones who opted to wear pieces of plants and trees. Their numerical superiority overwhelmed the exhausted forces, and many of the people caught in the Point found themselves subject to the penchant for cruelty the Swampmen were known at the time to have. Many were skewered on the palisade walls, or skinned alive, and those not were sold into slavery.

### Rebuilding

In the wake of the Swampmen attack the Count of Dale petitioned the regional authority, the Aedwinian prefect, for funding to construct a proper wall and keep to protect the town. While some of the funds were embezzled to instead fund a lighthouse, a wall was ultimately built. Furthermore, the Point used the attack as an excuse to up the fees it collected from ship captains who, with little choice, paid. Thus, Fort Dale was born.