Atalmor, a small island continent west of the mainland, was divided by rivers and mountains into four countries. Caryn, the largest, was in the northwest. This was the land where humans ruled. Many small towns and villages dotted the landscape, surrounded by fertile fields. In the city of Caryn, named for the country, was a small jeweler's shop situated in the middle of a long avenue. The unremarkable shop was in a narrow, drafty old building that was two stories tall, the shop occupying the first level with the jeweler's home neatly tucked away upstairs.
“But I am only a jeweler,” said the tiny man. Standing before him was the imposing figure of a mage. The mage was one of the tallest people Jwas had ever seen. “Please, I beg you. I do not wish to be involved in this. Can you not make the rings yourself?”
“You will do as you are instructed, and if you do not,” the wizard said with a menacing grin just before shooting a tiny lightning bolt into Jwas' long black hair, singeing the ends. “Horlarl will not be pleased, and we all know how elves are when they are not pleased.”
The jeweler nodded, motioned for the wizard to leave him so that he may begin working on the four rings as they were commissioned. He worked endlessly for ten days without rest until all the rings were complete and perfect. Though Jwas wanted no part of the rings, he took pride in his work, noting how beautiful his creations were. He sent a street messenger to fetch the mage that had ordered him to make the rings once he had finished.
The next day, the mage returned. “I have been wondering, what is it that makes you waste so much time in crafting simple rings, hmm? Have you been dawdling while the kings wait? This is unacceptable!” The wizard lifted a wand, spoke a soft word, and Jwas was gone. The wizard then hurried out from the jeweler's shop, heading out of Caryn altogether.
High in the tower of the mage's master in Gumlor, the younger mage carefully brought out the four rings. Two of the rings were plain silver, as instructed, one had the designs of vines carved into it all around, and the final ring was made of gold with an emerald set into it. The mage went to work. With the help of his master, the wizard carefully imbued the rings with powerful magics.
Days later, once the rings were finished, imbued with the magic of the wizards and tied to the soul of an unfortunate jeweler, the wizards presented them to the rulers of the four kingdoms.