THE CONFLICT OF ORFOD AND FRODO
The two sons of King Salmarik and his wife Jiana grew up in a
rich, vital kingdom, only to be the cause of its destruction.
Even as children, the boys fought. Orfod, the elder, was a
strong, quiet boy. He excelled in physical contests, yet was
no slouch in the mental arena either. His father was pleased
and proud to have such a capable heir. Frodo was jealous of the
attention lavished on his older brother, and failed to see why
he was not as good a choice for the next ruler of Belaern. In
truth, both sons were probably equally qualified, but birthright
was a difficult tradition to defy.
When their father grew old, he stepped down and handed the throne
over to Orfod, and with the throne, Orfod took hold of the great
Rod that had symbolized Salmarik's rule. It was not known until
much later that the Rod would be the object of the death of so many,
the destruction of so much and the greed of all involved. Quiet Orfod
was not as beloved of the people as was charismatic Frodo, and popular
support rallied behind the younger brother. Orfod, fearing revolt,
banished his brother and many of his followers. Armies were mustered
and war ensued.
So it was that not long after the armies of the brothers had been
gathered that they met first on the fields of Aaveldrop, a large
area of farmlands that were a main source of agriculture to the
kingdom. It was winter now, and though the fields were the most
fertile in the land, they were dry and dead as the armies marched
upon them. The army of Frodo outnumbered Orfod's army by several
legions, but that granted Frodo no special advantage as Orfod's men
were better trained and experienced, and men aside, Orfod was the
greater tactician of the brothers. So it was that the initial battle
of the armies was won by Orfod's forces [*Librarian's note* See the
book: The Battle of the Aaveldrop Fields, for a historical account
of the battle itself].
Undaunted by the initial defeat, Frodo gathered his forces that had
retreated from the Aaveldrop Fields and commissioned many new legions
and began their training immediately. The next battle the brothers'
armies would fight would be the last great war the Isle of Belaern
has seen, and it would change all of Belaern for all time.
Several months later, after a few insignificant skirmishes between
a few small groups, the full forces of the brothers met for their
second and last time. Set upon the flats of Metterdowne, a large
area of grassy flatlands just to the east of the Aaveldrop Fields,
the final stage of the brothers' war came to a brutal climax, resulting
in the deaths of the entire compliment of both armies and the destruction
of all the surrounding lands, changing them into what today is the
great desert of Belaern. For it was the Rod, in fact, that brought
the brothers face to face in the final moments of battle, not the
right to throne.
After all was said and done, the Rod had in fact decided upon the
outcome of the battle, being the focal point of the Battle at the
Flats of Metterdowne. The battle itself had just begun as the
first wave of Frodo's cavalry had charged into Orfod's skilled
footman, although much more successfully than the first time.
As Orfod watched his forces battle his brothers' atop a small hill,
he was confronted by his brother.
The brothers fought for a long time, and each was wounded badly
from the others' blade. In the last few minutes of the fight, Orfod
took hold of the Rod in hopes of finally defeating his brother.
Frodo, seeing the Rod again for the first time in several months,
was suddenly filled with inescapable greed. Diving upon Orfod, Frodo
took hold of the Rod in both his hands.
So the brothers rolled upon the ground, scratching and clawing at
one another, both still with a firm hand on the Rod and desiring
it for their own. Suddenly, Salmarik appeared at the scene, having
been away for quite some time, but making his way back to find his
sons after hearing of their war and foolishness.
The brothers turned to look at their father, the two of them knelt
on the ground, bodies facing one another, both hands glued to the
Rod. Salmarik knew of the hatred in the brothers, and he felt the
greed that had taken hold of the hearts of his sons. Orfod and
Frodo, suddenly apathetic to the appearance of their father, renewed
their struggle for the Rod with disturbing vigor. Salmarik, not
knowing how to rectify the situation, stepped into the fray and grasped
the Rod also in his hands.
It is only through accounts of wizards and sages looking into the
past that any of this is known, and what follows, is clear speculation.
It is said, however, that when Salmarik took hold of the Rod, he, too
was overcome with greed. In fact, the greed of the brothers and their
father, and the hatred between the brothers was so great that the
Rod grew aware. At that time, the Rod unleashed perhaps the greatest
single event of power the Realms has ever known, engulfing the entire
area in a blast of absolute energy and evil that destroyed the lands
of fertility on which the wars had been waged. Both the flats of
Metterdowne and the fields of Aaveldrop became lifeless deserts. All
the former habitation was completely wiped out. The brothers' forces
were utterly decimated, with only a few men of the thousands escaping death.
Salmarik, Orfod and Frodo, however, were said to be taken into the
Rod for some time and reshaped. Now it is believed that the three
exist in these Realms as powerful undead, the desire for the Rod still
welling within distorted hearts.