Reclamation of Seren
Overview
During the Summer Solstice 384YE, Nathair Autumngale, the Advisor on the Vallorn instructed the Department of Historical Research to research into the reclamation campaign of Seren from the vallorn. Serenael, where Seren stands today. was the final region of Miaren to be cleared of vallorn influence - making Miaren the first territory ever where the vallorn was defeated and its heart destroyed. The Department wishes to thank the staff at the Great Library of Hacynian for their aid in putting together this document.
Long Road to Victory
Research into pre-Imperial records is always challenging, doubly so when it involves the Navarr and their fight against the vallorn. From what we have been able to pull together, it seems that Miaren may have been the first territory to be woven with the Dance of Navarr and Thorn, and the first serious stridings emanated from this territory. The early stridings encountered constant difficulties - first from the orcs then later from the nations that supplanted them. They persevered and over time they were able to steadily leech the power from Miaren. It's not clear how exactly they dealt with Holtford, Oakways, and Greenfalls but when the Empire was founded, Goldglades and Serenael were the only remaining regions where the vallorn still held sway.
The Empire proved a massive boon to the Navarr. For the first time their stridings could move unhindered across large swathes of land. Unchallenged they were able to walk from the northern borders of Varushka all the way to the southern shores of the Brass Coast, and from the westernmost reaches of Wintermark down to the edges of Urizen. According to contemporary accounts, this had an immediate impact, which was most noticeable in Miaren. Goldglades became active in 4YE, with vallornspawn spilling out to attack Temeschwar, Upwold, and Hahnmark as well as ravaging across Miaren. The Navarr armies were able to contain them with aid from the Fist of the Mountains, and then drive into Goldglades and root out the vallorn there, although both the Navarr and Wintermark forces suffered serious casualties in the process.
According to the official histories, the Navarr made extensive preparations against the day they would be able to deal with Serenael as well. Initial indications were that it would be many years before the final region of Miaren was vulnerable to attack, but in 11YE a group of explorers the southern foothills of the Locul mountains discovered the Pool of Silver Clouds. Here, they apparently received a vision indicating that the spread of the Navarr stridings, and the use of the trods by so many Imperial feet, would see an unprecedented opportunity in the near future to triumph over the vallorn. The vision was so compelling that the Navarr quickly began preparations for a final strike against the vallorn of Miaren.
In the end, it was fourteen years before the signs were undeniable, that the vallorn heart at Serenael was beginning to become agitated. By this time, Emperor Giovanni was on the Throne and was apparently deeply skeptical about the wisdom of attacking the heart. In 26YE, however, vallornspawn surged out of the miasmic heart of the territory and attacked the Navarr steadings. Some of them were able to reach as far as Withy and Grovesyard in Astolat, and the woods of Tower March. The Dawnish and Marcher armies moved swiftly to deal with the threat to their own territories, leaving the Navarr to weather the storm by themselves. Their armies were unfortunately not equal to the task - the sheer force of the vallorn threatened to overwhelm them entirely.
In the end a bitter decision was made to lower the smothering shroud of Winter magic over Miaren. Wither the Seed was performed during the Summer Solstice 26YE by a group of vates using assistance of the eternal Sorin - a set of bone rods that helped empower them to create the curse while battle raged around them in the forests of Holtford. Shortly after the ritual was completed, a blight stuck the oaks and beeches of Holtford, eventually spreading across the entire southern territory. The forests of Miaren never recovered - while the Navarr would eventually plant gardens and orchards the wild woods were consumed by the blight. There is speculation at the time that this disease was part of whatever bargain was made with Sorin to help them work the potent curse.
The effect weakened the vallorn and its spawn - we have seen the effects of Wither the Seed in Brocéliande in recent years - but the Navarr would still have lost their tenuous hold on the territory if not for the aid of captains from across the Empire, and the timely arrival of armies from the League, Dawn, and Highguard. The vallornspawn were held back, forced back into the heart at Serenael. Here the matter may have ended - had it not become clear that as a result of the outburst and the Winter curse the vallornheart itself had become vulnerable.
The Thorns Rally
In Spring 27YE, at the Anvil Summit, there was a great deal of discussion about what to do about Serenael. The Navarr were absolutely adamant that the Empire must help them to attack and destroy the vallorn heart. This was what their people had been working towards since the fall of Terunael. They had limited support - it was easy to blame the Navarr for the recent losses caused by the vallorn and a wide variety of people appear to have argued that if this outburst meant the vallorn in Miaren would become quiescent for a time then it would be better to simply let it subside. With Wither the Seed keeping it somnolent for the next three decades, there would be plenty of time to try again in the future.
In the end, Emperor Giovanni was convinced to support the Navarr. The Throne threw his full weight behind them, and brought his allies with him. His argument was that if there was a chance to deal permanently with this threat in Miaren then it would be foolish not to take it. Following the Spring Equinox. the Navarr armies were again reinforced by the League, the Dawnish, and the Marchers. While the Freeborn, Highborn and the Varushkans were engaged in campaigns to secure Imperial borders against the barbarian orcs, they were able to send many of their military captains to assist. The Winterfolk brought one of their own armies south to attack Serenael from the north. A net of steel surrounded the vallorn heart. Battle raged throughout the rest of 27YE. The vallorn miasma meant that the casualties caused were calamitous, but as the year stumbled to an end, the heart of Miaren collapsed sending a shockwave of Spring magic through the trods.
Victory
Emperor Giovanni announced the victory before the Senate during the Winter Solstice. He was very clear that this was an example of what the Empire could achieve if its people worked together. In private, he apparently claimed this was also an example of the power of the Throne - not to command people to do things but to organise the people of the Empire to a common cause. There are some reports that the harvests in 28YE were exceptionally rich across most of the Empire especially in the territories bordering Miaren - and while there seems to be no particular proof the Imperial Conclave certainly believed this was the result of the liberation of Serenael.
Celebrations in Miaren were more muted - after all the territory was still under the influence of Wither the Seed and would be for another three decades. Yet for the Navarr of 26YE this was the single most significant event that had happened since the fall of Terunael. They had finally demonstrated that the vallorn was vulnerable - that like any living thing it could be slain. It had come at great cost both to the Navarr and its allies, but it had been done. Miaren was still a wilderness, and still cursed, but in time it would become a centre of culture and learning for the entire Empire - as well as an enduring symbol of what could be accomplished by Imperial heroes.