Originally published on September 21st, 2020 on talesfromardonn.com
Read volume I of this series here. Read volume II of this series here.
The centuries following the conquests of the Exiles greatly resembled those preceding it. This was a period marked by endemic warfare and political instability, as the Twin Kingdoms and their neighbours fought for supremacy.
As time went on succeeding generations forgot the oaths their ancestors had made to the Exile kings and the sway Ardonn and Aedonn held over the surrounding lands declined. Lords won their independence and made themselves kings. New states emerged as the decades passed, and old ones fell.
As a result of this division, regional cultures and dialects developed, though a core identity still remained and many still referred to themselves as ‘Exiles’ even after the original conquerors were long dead. Although the Exile kingdoms frequently fought amongst themselves, they often put aside their differences when threatened by foreign peoples from the south and east.
Some important cultural developments occurred during this time — namely, the formation of the role of High Priest. Originally this role had been filled by the king, but within one to two generations following the conquest of the Crisan kingdoms the various kings abandoned this role, for they were at war so often they had little time to devote to it.
Thus, beginning in Aedonn, the Exile kings created a new office that held religious authority over the entire realm. Most realms did the same, appointing a High Priest often from among the royal families, or by elevating an existing priest or Godspeaker to the role. The Kingdom of Ardonn was the last to adopt this development, in the fourth generation after Eomund.
While the descendants of the Exiles vied for control of the land north of the Cris, wars were also being fought between the peoples south of that river. The lands there had been conquered by another people from the north following the eruption of Fyrdun, and they too had formed their own small kingdoms. As time went on, however, one kingdom became dominant over all: Erila.
Erila expanded its influence first through diplomacy and culture, then through conquest, until eventually its king ruled all the land from the west and east coast of the continent, and from the River Cris in the north to unknown lands far to the south. It would not be long before they set their sights on the lands north of the Cris, so in an effort to check Erila’s expansion Ardonn, Aedonn, and many neighbouring kingdoms forged a grand alliance, and in 812 they marched south to war.
The war between Erila and the Exile kingdoms was known as the ‘River Wars,’ as it was mainly fought in the lands around the Cris. The Erilans suffered several crushing defeats and were eventually forced to sue for peace. The Alliance demanded a massive tribute, forced Erila to cede sovereignty over the Borderland Moors, and took control of numerous major forts in the passes through the Crisan Ranges.
The defeat of Erila in the River Wars marked the beginning of that kingdom’s slow decline — and set in motion the events leading to the fall of Aedonn and the rise of the Kingdom of Ardonn.
Read volume IV of this series here.