The making of the Medallion of Winter and the destruction of the BeastMen
Summary
It was getting dark and the snow was still falling. They had been walking for days since their horses died and it was getting colder. Halav, Petra and Zirchev were on their last legs. The last battles to save their homeland of Traladara from the BeastMen had gone badly, their fighters had been routed or killed, and just the three of them remained to keep hope alive...but the flame of hope was flickering and dying.
The barking of the BeastMen chasing them was getting louder and closer. If they caught up, the resistance would be over and the land of Traladara would be overrun by the BeastMen for ever. But they were tired, their arrows were spent and their weapons notched and on the verge of breaking. Their only hope, and the only hope for the land, was for a diversion which would allow them to escape in the whiteout.
Petra captured a single snowflake and gave it to Zirchev along with a perfect gemstone she carried as a focus. Zirchev took these and turned them into a medallion of pure silver with the gemstone as an eye at the centre, and imbued the whole with a magical power.
Using this medallion, Petra focused the power of winter on their foes, creating a great barrier and bringing down the blizzard to cover their tracks. The three heroes then managed to slip away leaving their foes trapped, many of them to perish in the bitter cold. They had been saved and would go on to rebuild the resistance, eventually throwing the BeastMen from their lands forever.
The three friends agreed that the medallion held too much power for any one person, so they split it into six flakes, taking two flakes each, in order that they must work together to wield such power again. Petra reclaimed the Eye from the centre for her use.
The need never arose, and over time the flakes were lost.
It is rumoured that even the individual flakes contain some of the power of winter, and that they have been separated and spread around the land of Traldar, where worthy heroes can seek them out and wield them in defence of the realm.
Should the fires of war grasp the land again, seek out the six flakes of Traldar and join them with the Eye to control the frost and restore the equilibrium.
Historical Basis
The existence of Halav, Petra and Zirchev is well documented, as is their leadership of the battle against the BeastMen and the overthrow of the invaders. The specifics of this incident cannot be verified, however, since the only witnesses were the three heroes and the BeastMen who perished. Similarly despite many people looking, no-one has found any of the six flakes. Maybe they are just an allegory. Or maybe they do still exist, split up across the world, ready to be found again when need is greatest.
Although it is believed they perished in the final battle, Halav slaying the leader of the BeastMen in single combat before succumbing to his wounds, Petra and Zirchev managed to steal away Halav's corpse and resurrect him. The three of them have since achieved immortality and look over the land of Traladara shaping and supporting the worthy.
Spread
The fable is well-known among the native Traladarans in The Grand Duchy of Karameikos, being one of the many stories told by the Traladarans to their children about the making of the country and the fabled Golden Days, the return of which they dream of.
It is also known to a degree by the nobility of Karameikos, but they dismiss it as superstitious fable, and view too much discussion of such things as dangerous sedition.
Outside the country, it is only known to scholars and sages with a particular interest in Karameikos, Traldar and the history of the land.
Variations & Mutation
The location varies, depending on where the teller lives. Sometimes it is "in the mountains to the north", other times "among the hills to the west", "in the swamp of the Kelvin marsh", "along the reaches of the Wulfwolde River" or "near the Lake of Lost Dreams".
The disaster which would trigger the re-emergence of the flakes also varies. In one fragment of a document, it is given as "bitter winter", while another version talks of "the fires of war" and another just "disaster".
Apart from these minor variations, the essential details remain the same in all tellings.
Date of Setting
The events actually took place 2000 years ago (around BC1000 by The Thyatian Calendar), but the tales make it sound like it was nearer 500 years ago.
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