Sadakas

Once by flames. Once by waves. Once by plague. Sadakas, the thrice doomed town, the story that teaches every kid that in a contest between man and god, the latter always wins.

— Samish Agara, Cetaran Historian

Some towns only become famous through the terrible fates that befall them. Teamar, Lantea , Madrin, each and every one of them found a terrible end and was remembered by millions for it. Sadakas is only one of many on this list, but perhaps the best example of a place that man better not settle on.

Cursed Place

Sadakas was the southernmost settlement founded by the Onadarans during their southward expansion in the late 2nd Millenium DA. Situated near the coast, at the very border of the wild jungles of Inferra, Sadakas served as a minor trade post and station for transports and traders on their way to the Itrakan Empire further in the interior. It never grew past a larger village, mostly due to it being confined by the walls of Mount Sadaro, a volcano massive that surrounded the village on three sides. It was this very volcano that would serve as the first of three forces to destroy Sadakas. In 2294 DA, the mountain erupted, a hail of burning stones tearing the village apart. The survivors fled.
Within two years they returned, however. Sadakas was rebuilt, this time with stone. Under the leadership of the Valkal Family, Sadakas grew further than it previously had. The wealthy trader family wanted to make themselves a headquarter away from the busy cities further north and through skilled management, they turned the village into an important trading station. Over the years, Sadakas grew into a town, its buildings rising along Mt. Sadaro's flanks and reaching over the river Neklas. Sadakas golden age would not last forever, however. In 2697 DA, a large earthquake off the coast caused a massive tidal wave. It washed the city away, only the highest buildings surviving the onslaught.
Once again the people returned. Sadakas would continue to serve as an outpost and trading station and while it never reached the heights it had under the Vakal, it still managed to acquire large amounts of wealth. The third and final nail in the coffin would appear in late 3199 DA. Hundreds of kilometres to the north, the Brightflame Hour shook the world and released vast clouds of toxic ash into the sky. The majority of these would be driven east by strong winds, but some managed to slip south. Toxic rain contaminated the earth and water around Sadakas and sickness ravaged the population. More than half of the population died and the rest fled. Most made their way inland were an unknown fate awaited them.

Omnious Warning

A handful of survivors were picked up by a passing Rhomeian trader and it is through them that the story of the cursed village came to the world. A fate as dire as Sadakas quickly gained the people's attention and many a story was spun around the unfortunate town. One of the more popular ones tells that the first settles disturbed the shrine of an ancient deity, which proceeded to curse the land when the Onadarans refused to repent.

One thing is for certain, someone really didn't like the people settling there.

— Amish Cevar, Historian

Founding Date

1901 DA (Original)
2296 DA (Rebuilt)
2701 DA (Rebuilt)
3200 DA (Abandoned)

Type

Village

Population

~ 600
~ 2.500 (at its height in 2630)

Inhabitant Demonym

Onadaran

Location under

Gold Coast

Owning Organization

Republic of Ceveta (Nominal)

Fate was not with Them.
Aside from the three great disasters that destroyed Sadakas, there are said to have been a myriad of minor occurrences and disasters throughout the town's existence. Some chronicles, although of dubious origin, report hundreds upon hundreds of events that exceed what most would consider "normal" or "regular" accidents. From buildings collapsing, to fires breaking out seemingly without origin, to cracks in the earth opening up and swallowing entire streets, there is no possible disaster that is not mentioned in one chronic or another.
While some of these are plausible, Sadakas was built on the flanks of an active volcano, after all, others tend to drift into the mythological. Events such as the "Fish Rain of 2231" or the "Insect Storm of 3001" can safely be regarded as hearsay and embellishment.

by Francis Goeltner