Battle of Krojak's End

End of the Giant Wars

As the thick smoke of the fires cleared, the Knight of Yggdrasil looked on to see their leader bowed over the back of his white wolf, her fur caked in the dark colors of Giant blood. There was a collective silence as the Knights bowed their head in reverence, assuming the worst had occurred when Alaric had reached up to smite the Giant prince Krojak.

Slowly, the form of the wolf began to stir, a blackened hand still holding the sword that had been granted by the Elven King moving to his lap as he unfurled to his full stature. The other hand slowly rose above his head, catching the falling motes and watching them dissolve on his gloved hand. The Giant prince had fallen, and the war had ended, but the harsh reality of the battle at Krojak's End could not be erased by the victory.

Alaric Ylyndar had slain the Giant prince Krojak using the sword Stormrender that had been granted by the Elven King. The Giant Wars were long and bloody, the battle that brought the Head Knight and the Giant prince together being the bloodiest of all. It is said that Alaric gained some recognition amongst the Giants for his victory, but whether this is true is unknown.

— Volume V of the Yllvalion Codex, The Giant Wars

The Conflict

Prelude

The Giant Wars had raged across centuries, small skirmishes scattered along the southern border of the Neither Tundra occurring throughout the years. It was common for the Giants to attempt an invasion along the borders of the Elven Forest and the Cradle of Clay, slowly pushing the Elves, Humans, and Clay Giants further into their own territories.
These back-and-forth skirmishes continued across the centuries with neither group gaining much ground. This changed when the Giant prince Krojak forced an offensive along the northern border of the Elven Forest. His goal was to lead the Elves into a weary war that they would be unable to sustain and would eventually cede territory to the Giants.
The ultimate goal was to take the stronghold at Yllvalion forcing the Elves' hand in this matter. Without the stronghold, the Knights of Yggdrasil could no longer protect the northern border of the Elven Forest, allowing the Giants access into the rest of the forest. This would be a heavy blow for the Elves, one they could not recover from if the Giants were successful.

Battlefield

As the skirmishes continued to move further into the Elven Forest and closer to Yllvalion, only the Eye of Kallex stood between the Cloud Giants and their goal. It was decided that the Knights of Yggdrasil would attempt to make a stand before the Giants crossed the river and hindering any further movement.
This gave the Giants an advantageous position as the Knights had no means of easy retreat with their backs against the river. While the Paladins could not be surrounded, their movement on the battlefield was hindered and would allow them little means of escape or moving to a more advantageous position themselves.

The Engagement

The Battle of Krojak's End lasted over a week with neither side gaining much ground. It was a bloody battle with many losses on both sides but historians define the battle as having two phases, the Early Days and the Final Conflict, that are dictated by their different strategies and the losses that occurred.

Early Days

The first days of the battle were somewhat quiet, the Knights of Yggdrasil choosing to utilize long-range tactics to stay out of the Giants' reach. This strategy was somewhat successful as the Paladins served as a front-line defense for the Archers with magic, but soon the Giants would overwhelm such a strategy.
By the fourth day of the battle, things could only be described as a brawl. As many as three or four Paladins were fighting a single Giant, attempting to remove as many from battle as possible. This was difficult as the Cloud Giants were far more motivated and stronger than the Giants the Knights of Yggdrasil had battled in the past.
As the ninth day dawned, the wounded and dying lay scattered across the battlefield, casualties high on both sides, Alaric Ylyndar chose to change the course of the battle, setting out on his own to hopefully end this gruesome war.

Final Conflict

The battle still continued as Alaric rode his white wolf Ylmari to the clearing where Krojak was fighting. A messenger has arrived the night before with the enchanted sword Stormrender with which Alaric was supposed to end the war.
Both parties had suffered injuries during the past days, but Alaric and Ylmari had suffered greater injuries than Krojak. Alaric's goal was to strike the Giant down in a single blow.
When the Giant moved to attack a group of Paladins, Ylmari leaped at him, sinking her teeth into the meat of his forearm. A howl of pain rang across the battlefield and Alaric used that moment to speak the words that would empower the blade with a divine smite. As Krojak attempted to shake Ylmari from his arm, Alaric attacked, smiting the Giant with his full powers, shards of ice shattering around them as divine power filled the battlefield with a bright light.
Once the light faded, the shattered claymore of Krojak lay near his prone form. As the Cloud Giants realized what happened, many of them turned away from the battle in shame, no longer having a leader to lead them. The Giants retreated and thus ended the Giant Wars.

Included under Conflict

Giant Wars

Conflict Type

Battle

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

27 Winter's Morning, 3500 IM

Ending Date

5 Winter's Noon, 3500 IM

Conflict Result

The Giant prince Krojak was slain, officially ending the Giant Wars.

Location

Krojak's End

Belligerents

Knights of Yggdrasil

• Knights of Yggdrasil

Led by

• Alaric Ylyndar

Cloud Giant Army

• Kingdom of Giants

Led by

• Krojak

Strength

The Knights of Yggdrasil had amassed their entire force, save for a few who were left in the various villages and in Yllvalion to assist with communication and protection of the townsfolk. Their forces numbered nearly 5000, many of which were formally trained Paladins of the Order.
The Knights utilized a variety of weapons, mostly swords and lances carried by the Paladins, but some of the force utilized bows, ballista, and various colors of magic.

The Cloud Giants had amassed a small army by Giant standards but believed that such a small force would be all that was needed to force the Elves out of their great city. Their forces numbered only 2000, less than half the size of their foes, but they made up for numbers in terms of strength and weaponry.
The Cloud Giants often utilized clubs, axes, and other oversized, and somewhat brutal, weaponry. Their weapons were known for causing extreme harm and decimating forces.

Casualties

The Paladins suffered heavy losses, with nearly half of their force suffering casualties. While only a few died, many more were gravely injured and required difficult healing through Yellow Magic. This battle would decimate the Knights of Yggdrasil for years to come.

The Cloud Giants did not suffer as nearly many casualties as the Knights of Yggdrasil did. Even so, while their forces only lost 700 members, many of these were deaths instead of just simple injuries. These losses were shameful to the Giants.

Objectives

As the Giants pushed towards Yllvalion, the Knights strove to deter them by any means necessary. Once the Giants reached the river, the only goal was to stop them in their tracks, hopefully ending the Giant Wars and keeping the Giants from taking a strategic location.

Once Krojak took control of his army, the goal was to drive the Elves as far into the Elven Forest as possible so that the Giants could claim Yllvalion as their own. The city was a strategic fortress that would grant them access to the Elven Kingdom as well as the "Metallic Council".

Aftermath

The death of the Giant prince Krojak brought some measure of peace between the Giants and the races of the lands south of the Neither Tundra. The Giant Wars officially ended and no evidence of further conflict has appeared in the millennia since. While it is unknown what happened to the Cloud Giants in the days since the battle, the Knights of Yggdrasil suffered heavy losses that changed their ranks greatly.

Legacy

Alaric Ylyndar and Ylmari were lauded as heroes across many parts of the Northern Continent for their work in stopping the Giants' invasion. The notoriety he gained brought great respect to the Ylyndar Clan, granting them recognition across Vóreios. Few dare to cross the Knights of Yggdrasil due to the legacy Alaric Ylyndar established.