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Letter from Helevorn On this eighth day of Gwaeron, the month of March in the Common Tongue give most Felicitous greetings to the Honored Aran Elenaro, Arch Wizard of Earth and Sky, At Din-Oth, from your servant Amaliel Golindreth, Arch Wizard of Records and Lore, form the Archives of Helevorn, In common speech by your Majesty's Command. Honored One, We are deep into our search of the records pertaining to the Great Battle fought between Our People under the leadership of Your Honored Sire, Aran Galavier, and the Fearsome Creature Known Then and Now as Tarlov of the Ghost-hand. Our researches are still in progress, but as you have bidden us, we are dispatching such intelligence, as we have been able to glean and to put into order at this time. May it aid all of Our Peoples, both in Quentari, and in Evendarr in determining the most auspicious of strategies against this menace from the past. From what reports we have accumulated both in the Archives and most recently, from Your Majesty's ill fated Encounter with that Foul Creature, we have ascertained the following: "Tarlov" or "Tarlov Y'Koharitan", as he called himself then, was, we believe, born some time in the latter half of the eighth cycle of ages in the lands to the south and east of Quentari. At that time, this area was a loose and fractious confederation of city-states and petty fiefdoms. These were largely human-ruled, and trade between them and Quentari was intermittent at best, due to the propensity of humans for quarrelling and violence. There were reports of a group of wizards in the area calling themselves the Sorcerer Kings, but there are no accurate nomenclatures establishing their identities that we have discovered as of this report. It may be that further research will uncover them. These were said to have amassed some considerable wealth and power, but as with nearly all human attempts at governance in those days, they were given to spending it upon open war amongst themselves. Since Dar-Khabad had yet to be brought to order by the Dwarves and Half-orcs, our telcontari were given to patrolling into the Verges of that territory in Defense. However, none of the accounts that we have discovered to date have revealed the Name of Tarlov. The first date that we can ascertain that may have a connection to Tarlov comes in Loa Thloestel 191, in common, the 191st year of the Reign of Thloestel, your Honored Grandsire. This was the 384th year of the eighth cycle of Ages, and the 4416th year of the Kingdom of Quentari. Our own records speak of the Great Cycle War (The 48 year cycle which forms one twelve-part of a Cycle of Ages.) which ravaged the south of Avalon and drew many of our Rangers and Youthful Adventurers into Battles which raged across the south. It marked the first time that Quentari Records speak of a Great Alliance between Humans and Elves, in order to defeat the Hordes of Monsters, which ravaged the Southern Lands. The histories of the Telcontari speak of one Wizard who suffered Grievous Losses in that engagement. With one exception, there is no name given to this Hero, but accounts speak of his loss of an arm, and the great grief and rage that this condition brought upon him. It is also written that he may have lost his family as well. Beyond a brief annotation, we have found no more at this time. Two hundred years passed. Aran Thloestel passed into Autmennesiel (No Common Speech Translation) and Aran Galavier was in the fourteenth year of his reign. The archives show that reports began to arrive at the throne of Aran Galavier, telling of a great evil, which had arisen in the east. Several scouting parties were dispatched to investigate, and all failed to return. On the last day of Hithu, called November, a unicorn appeared at Din-Oth seeking audience with the Aran, and pleaded for help. When the Unicorn spoke of a creature calling itself Tarlov of the Ghost-hand, the Aran knew that he could wait no longer. A force was sent from Quentari bearing weapons of the greatest power. The leader of that force, Paurdor Morathak Brightfire, had served in the forces that had fought in the Great Cycle War. He writes that the being calling itself Tarlov did resemble the Wizard Tarlov Y"Koharitan to an uncanny degree, but did not have the appearance of one who is undead. Morathak also speaks of Tarlov's left arm from which he drew his name. It did appear translucent and pale, but was in all other ways, usable as an arm. Our armies first encountered Tarlov and his minions at a great tower of magic, which from the maps and descriptions of the area, may well have been located at the very place where your majesty was taken prisoner. As you and your brave rescuers discovered, there were even in those days, great veils of magic, and powerful gates used by the Ghost-hand and those whom he commanded. Long and bloody was the battle, and our forces were often led astray and confounded by the wiles and snares set by the Ghost-hand and his creatures, victory was hard-won, and the defeat of Tarlov was not accomplished until midsummer was nearly upon us. After the battle had ended, and Tarlov had been captured, Warlord Morathak reported a number of observations regarding Tarlov's power. The Ghost-hand if it were indeed the same being as he who had fought in the Great Cycle War, seemed to have gained as much mastery over the Earth magicks as he had previously had over the celestial. In addition, he had many of the powers of the Great Lords of Undeath, but did not have their appearances or their weaknesses. It appears that our forces made some speculation on his powers and their derivation at the time, but those pages which immediately come to hand, are damaged. I am led to believe that the destruction of this document was quite deliberate. The harm done to these specific pages is worrying. It will take additional time to uncover other sources that may bring new information to light. Be assured Honored One, that we shall make the utmost haste in this endeavor. I have yet to uncover your Sire’s accounts of the battle, and would suggest that a search be conducted in the Royal Archives at Din-Oth, or in the Hall of Heroes as well as here at the Institute. The accounts end with the following, “Fearing that, in death, Tarlov’s spirit would escape, the wizards of Quentari, led by the Aran himself, built a prison high in the Anymdin Mountains. There they placed Tarlov’s spirit, and such of his items of power as had survived. Using several circles of power, one inside of another, one inside of another, and with the assistance of the unicorns, the wizards felt that Tarlov would be unable to inflict further harm upon the world.” The accounts of Tarlov end here, for the location of the prison is not written in our records, and all those who were sworn to remember it in case of need perished in the Dimensional Wars. Over the centuries the trackless mountains of Volta have been searched for the valley described in the records, but nothing has been found. It is known that one of our number, the Wizard Entarios D’Quey entered these archives in the 372nd year of your reign called Yr. 312 in the Evendarrian Calendar and made an extract for the archives of the Royal Academy of Evendarr. He was granted this privilege in his office as Master Archivist for the Royal Academy, in recognition of the need to preserve such fragments as could be discovered at that time, lest any change in circumstances place the human realm in peril from this monster as well. Honored One, We shall continue a diligent search until all intelligence on Tarlov of the Ghost-hand is brought to light. On the authority that you have bestowed upon me, I will also send instructions to the Royal Guilds, and to the Telcontari to make a thorough search in their records as well. I have no doubt that there is yet more to be learned on this grave matter.
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