Prior to Adger's reign over the northern ranges of mountains, two titans battled eternally for control of the region: Zima, Queen of Winter, and Deja the Firebird. The battle was never quite evenly matched, as Zima had hordes and hordes of minions from many deals and partnerships she had formed with powerful devils in Cania. Deja was always on the defensive, holding back this scourge after they were both released during Zero Year by a foolish warlord. Then, the Elven Genocide began, and Overlord Arxik slaughtered his way across Cremmevia, marking every member of the royal family for dead. As the sons of King Atlas'iethar scattered, Prince Jandar I fled with his honor guard and a large number of civilians to the coastline of Venn where they chartered a number of ships and sailed out to open ocean, just barely escaping as the Draican armies flooded the pass and burned the docks in frustration.
As the elves scattered, a great number followed Jandar thanks to his status as the oldest living son of King Atlas'iethar. He became their king in exile, and they followed him north- past Seamount, past Lorain and Tysha, travelling the dangerous winding rivers of the Girdellan peaks until they arrived in a lush, green, warm valley hidden between a number of frozen peaks. His people began to settle, building new homes for themselves and sending scouting parties to discover the cause of such an oasis within the frigid north. It wasn't long before Deja revealed herself to Jandar, and the two forged a pact between them: if the elves helped her fight back the Frigid Legion, she would allow them to live within her protection and would make sure Zima couldn't lay a hand on them.
Jandar abandoned the title of King, leaving behind his past and embracing his future as a Firelord, learning the intricacies of pyrokinesis from Deja herself. The two formed a bond beyond that of a warlock and their patron, instead becoming close friends and allies to the end. Under their guidance, the Ledian Empire was formed, and many great cities were built from magic and stone. One such city is still populated today: Vakt, the unconquerable fortress of Agder. The Ledian Empire became incredibly wealthy during its time as the ruling faction of the north, making allies out of its neighbors rather than creating enemies to their south.
This age of peace and wealth would soon come to an end, however. Xima had enlisted another powerful ally to her side: the Sisters of the Frozen Demise, a trio of Ice Devil archmages with a veritable horde of lesser devils under their command. Jandar gathered the firelords and the Ledian Army, marching north with Deja at his side for what was to be a history-altering battle. The golden armored Ledian soldiers met every devilish claw with their burning swords, every swarm of mephits with a fireball, every frost giant with a flame strike, for days on end. Fighting in the presence of Deja allowed the soldiers to renew their stamina constantly, never growing tired as the cut swathes across the Frigid Legion's armies. This could not go on forever, however, as the Legion outnumbered the elves a hundred to one. In a final act of defiance, Deja summoned all the power she possessed to erect a ward around the armies, boxing them into a valley to never escape. As Zima howled in anger at her imprisonment, the rest of the elven army battled to their last breath, giving their lives to end the Frigid Legion's grip on the frozen north.
Jandar fled with Deja to one of her hidden nests, keeping her safe from agents of Zima who would likely search for her for the rest of time. The two sealed themselves within the Alabaster Temple, knowing that the Ledian Empire would fall without them to guide it. This sacrifice was necessary, however, as Deja would remain in this weakened, killable state for centuries to come, and should she die the wards would fall and eternal winter would fall upon the entirety of Thelekar. Jandar sent a final message to the small force that remained in Vakt, telling them to send the populace to disperse amongst their southern allies, while the rest of the armed men and women would do what they could to keep them safe from the remaining Frigid Legion outside the wards.
And so, the Ledian Empire was abandoned to be buried beneath miles of snow, its people scattered across Arith, hiding from the Frigid Legion's fury. No artifacts were ever able to be recovered thanks to the incredibly hostile terrain of the region now known as Agder, and only two examples of Ledian architecture still stand: the Alabaster Ruins where Deja went into hiding, and the City of Vakt, now inhabited by Adgane humans. The new inhabitants altered the weathered statue of Jandar to resemble a legendary hero of their own, and have been careful to preserve the structural marvel that is an elven fortress ever since they moved in.
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