Lore of Aranna, volume 5 - Turmanar and its Aftermath

Tales Collected by Drevisil the Elder.
An inscription on the inner flap reads, 'Lore of Aranna, Volume 5.'
Turmanar and its Aftermath
For those unfamiliar with the life and works of Emperor Zaramoth, called the Unmaker, I recommend the work of Essilina the Watchful. She is far more familiar with the life of the last Star Emperor than I. This work will deal wiht the events immediately following the moment Zaramoth's Sword struck the Shield of Azunai the Defender; that is, the moment that the Second Age began.
One thing that those who study Turmanar must keep in mind is that the weapons of the two warriors were much more than merely a swrod and shield -- each was the final masterwork of a great race. Zaramoth's Sword was the last weapon forged by the Utgards, the great race of Northern Giants. The Shield of Azunai, on the other hand, was the last known work of the fabled Agallan smiths, and the most powerful artifact known to have come from their hands. Forging it was their last act before they fled to the eastern mountains and put down their smithing tools forever.
It is impossible to comprehend the power that was contained in these two objects. Each was forged to be the greatest artifact ever constructed, and though the Shield broke under the Sword, it is not known which was truly the more powerful. The measureless power of the energies released with the breaking of the Shield implies that they were evenly matched. When Zaramoth brought his Sword down on Azunai's Shield, a wave of power was released. The very mana of the earth flowed through the breaking Shield, and struck down both armies where they stood. The wave of power flowed outward across the land, leaving Aranna scorched and wasted.
Only the forests of Vai'lutra survived the devastation, for the Edhel seers had forewarning of the wave's approach and were able to strengthen the shield over their lands. In the months following Turmanar, many of Aranna's inhabitants died, for there was little food to be found. The few Humans that survived fled far to the north or west. Some took shelter in Aman'lu, and lived for a while on the charity of the Edhel. The Humans have forgotten this, but we have not. Much changed when the Sword and Shield met, but the most important of these changes was that Zaramoth and all his armies were utterly destroyed, and the peoples of Aranna were once again free.
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