A Tale of Forlorn Ruins & Tragic Battles

"Prithee come closer, my child, and let me recount those olden days of everlasting beauty to thee.
The land was green and covered with gentle rivers, tranquil glades, and festive villages. Tragedy and battle were but forgotten myths, told by mischievous bards with colorful tunics, far too merry in their attempts to give a fright to the naive townspeople who would dare listen to their little tunes.
The songs of the folk were very little concerned with such sinister affairs, and most preferred a hearty meal of potatoes, stew, and cheese rather than tales of bloodied cuirasses and glowing swords. The land was green, yes, and would stay that way for centuries upon centuries, with meals ever heartier and cuirasses buried ever deeper in soil that had not seen a march for many an age...

And then, maybe you'd expect me to tell you that it changed suddenly? That a shadow grew in the north? That monsters would venture ever deeper into this once peaceful land? Ah, but no such doom befell. The tunes that I will sing to you are very old indeed, perhaps the oldest there ever was...
How came they to me, you ask? Patience, my child, patience... For this knowledge is unknown, even to me. Maybe it will be revealed in due time, but then again, maybe not.

Yet one clue remains...

Beleriand."

Loosely based on Tolkien's Legendarium.

This was intended as an ode to the great city of Gondolin, but it ended up not being that.