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settled. It had long been kept clear of
settlement, the flat expanse riddled with hot
springs and prone to annual flooding, though a
few stubborn farmers still tried to coax crops
from the hard soil.
It had once been part of the lake itself,
before the Western Falls tucked into the Fangs
had been dammed up, their roaring waters
quieted to a trickle that fed the lake. For
centuries, Chaol’s ancestors had debated
breaking the dam, letting that raging river run
free once more, now that their ancient forges
had given way to a few water-powered mills
that could easily be moved elsewhere.
Yet the destruction breaking that dam
would cause, even if they gathered every
water-wielder in the realm to control the flow,
would be catastrophic. The entire plain would
flood in a matter of minutes, some of the city
being swept away as well. The waters would