It wasn't too hard to guess what happened.

Struggles in the halls of power seldom had much direct effect on the lives of the people, so few knew or cared about who was fighting over what. Everyone was too busy trying to survive or numb their pain. This time, some sort of magical conflict spiraled out of control, and now the Golden Boughs was underwater. You were trapped when the water came, and you have been using your Artificer skills to bolster Drusilla's magic in keeping the water out.