During the Fourth Age, many years after the fall of the Holy City in the South of Caelon, Warathi forces spread across the land to claim the continent. Ever since the greater, centralized Torian forces fled across the sea to form a new capital, the remaining Torian kingdoms in the North of Caelon held only loose ties to the church. The loss of the Holy City made each remaining Torian kingdom more territorial and they didn’t always come to each other’s aid. This was one of the greatest factors in systematic conquest of the Warathi Northern push.
Warathi forces conquered many strongholds across the continent, and set their eyes next on the lake town of Gelgadongo. While Gelgadongo was independent, Northen kingdoms had special interest in Gelgadongo, as a cultural and commercial center for several of the kingdoms to come together in unity. Princes and noble heirs would be sent there for study at the lakesideacademy, as well. Losing Gelgadongo would have been seen as a blow to every remaining Northern kingdom.
The Mountain Kingdom of Vestilla, under King Ávalos I, bolstered the forces outside of Gelgadongo in an effort to stop the approach. Although they were somewhat successful at slowing down the approach through using strategic positioning through choke points in valleys, they were ultimately outnumbered, as the song says “one to five”.
It wasn’t until the Kingdom of Olenos sent a large battalion of their greatest warriors (known in legend as the hillrunners) to flank the Warathi army on the other end of the valley, that victory became a possibility for the Northern forces. The battle was won, and from then on the Warathi spread ceased, never again attempting to conquer the northern rocky, mountainous region. It brought about a great period of peace for the greater land of Caelon, creating a great formal alliance between Vestilla and Olenos.
It’s unknown who actually wrote the ballad, but it is attributed to an anonymous Vestillan knight. The song became very famous in the North.
“Jewel of the North”
Though eye did see and heart did know
The sting of losses too great to show
When Old Shalona and Ismar fell
And too late did ring poor Aston’s bells
Yet the brave King his men did call
And I, your knight, with arms and all
My love for thee, o twinkling gem
Shined through the trees, your diadem
Though demons prowled the roads of dread
And darkness fell where they did tread
Trampled flowers and trampled fields
Tremendous strength they did so wield
Yet bravely did King Ávalos rally
His troops and tramps through the valley
Outnumbered we, one to five
We made our stand and gave our lives
And at the hour most uncertain
The Sun shone through a golden curtain
For alas from Western boundaries
Came hillrunners and horses through the trees
King of Olenos, his army did reprieve
Vestillan soldiers, our hopes retrieved
And on they cut into the night
Claiming vict’ry, our Northern rite
And when the morning light was bare
Reflecting in the waters clear
The Jewel of the North still stands
And demons now have left our lands,
They met the ground with their feet
Surely spelling their defeat
Now brothers we the North are born
The Torian North forever sworn
