Difference between revisions of "Rathalas"

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'''Rathalas''', also known as the '''Rift''', was a city in in the northern part of the [[Eastern Crownlands]] near central [[Alethkar]]. The city was burnt to the ground in 1163 and has not since been rebuilt. The people of Rathalas are sometimes referred to as '''Rifters''' and have a distinct nasally accent.{{book ref|sa3|11}} Rathalas was large enough to house tens of thousands of people.{{book ref|sa3|76}}

 

Rathalas was a tiered city built on struts up the side of chasm walls. It could be accessed from both the plains above and the canyon mouth below the city.{{book ref|sa3|76}}

 

The riverbed near to the city does not retain water, only filling during storms.{{book ref|sa3|71}} This is due to the rockbuds surrounding the riverbed consuming large quantities water.{{book ref|sa3|71}} The rockbuds grow to exceptional sizes with trunks growing as tall as a man's waist and vines as thick as a man's wrist.{{book ref|sa3|71}}

 

Rathalas was besieged by [[Gavilar]] Kholin during his campaign to unite the princedoms of Alethkar.{{book ref|sa3|11}} During the attack, [[Dalinar]] Kholin seeks out and kills Brightlord [[Tanalan's father|Tanalan]], winning himself the [[shardblade]], [[Oathbringer (Shardblade)|Oathbringer]].{{book ref|sa3|11}} Although he has instructions to kill Tanalan's [[Tanalan|heir]], Dalinar spares the boys life and he and his [[Tanalan's mother|mother]] flee.

 

Years later, Tanalan's son (with whom he shares a name), returns to Rathalas and demands the return of his fathers blade.{{book ref|sa3|36}} The reappearance of Tanalan destabilises the area leading to the threat of rebellion within the entire region of the Eastern Crownlands.{{book ref|sa3|36}} Gavilar attempts to quell the region through political means, however is ultimately unsuccessful, due in part to support of the rebellion from at least one of the other highprinces.{{book ref|sa3|66}}

 

After twelve years of failed negotiations between Gavilar and [[Tanalan]], Dalinar and [[Torol Sadeas|Sadeas]] returned to the Rift to end the rebellion. Against his nature and at the behest of his wife, Dalinar offered Tanalan a final chance to submit to the King and save his city.{{book ref|sa3|71}} Tanalan seemingly accepts Dalinar's truce, offering him information in return on the highprince who had supported the rebellion and naming Sadeas as traitor.{{book ref|sa3|71}} Dalinar, believing that one of Sadeas' shardbearers had recently left the city, follows in pursuit only to fall into a trap set by Tanalan, who hoped to seperate Dalinar from the Kholin army and kill him.{{book ref|sa3|75}} Dalinar returns to Rathalas after the attempt on his life fails and orders the city razed to the ground and its people slaughtered, to set an example.{{book ref|sa3|76}} During the battle, Tanalan is killed by Dalinar after he watches his family die.{{book ref|sa3|76}}

 

[[Evi]] Kholin is killed during the battle, after secretly travelling to the city to plead with them to surrender.{{book ref|sa3|76}} In order to hide the true nature of her death and as well to justify the destruction of the city, a narrative is constructed that claims Evi was assassinated leading to ensuing slaughter.{{book ref|sa3|76}}

 

 

== Notes ==