Tarlov Chronicles III

TARLOV EXTRACT FROM THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARCANE ARTS & SCIENCES, KINGDOM OF EVENDARR

In September of 593, Count Andros Holmsong Ravenhurst of Ravenholt fought a battle against his father, the dishonored former Royal Knight Sir Friederich Holmsong. Friederich had become a Vampire who, together with his comrades "Valdic" and "Katherine", had openly declared their loyalty and service to a powerful master whom they referred to as "Tarlov". Lord Colin Turing, the Ducal Guildmaster of Mages for Ravenholt, was ordered to conduct a search of the archives of the Royal Academy for any information on Tarlov. Two documents were discovered: the extract which follows came from the Academy itself, and the monograph on High Horoscopes was retrieved from the Royal Astrological Society - the Royal Astrologers' Guild.

-Lord Desmond Entares, Professor of Celestial Magics

On Tarlov y'Koharitan, also called the Ghost Hand

(Compiled in 312 ER, by Entarios d'Quey, Master Archivist to the Royal Academy, from fragmentary Elven records stored at the Helevorn College.)

It must be noted that the information contained within is of a highly disunited nature, since the records from which it is drawn are written in the Elven tongue, and the papers on which it is written are gravely damaged. Nonetheless, the content of this document is of a highly dangerous nature. Only those who are granted permission by a member of the Guild High Council are to be permitted access.

Any who remove copies of this material from the Guild Archives do swear that they shall not permit unlawful access to the information contained herein, and that they shall die in the attempt to retrieve it, and to erase any unlawful knowledge of this information.

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Seven hundred years before the expansion of the Kingdom beyond the Endarr Plain, in an area to the south of the Duchy of Therendry, there existed a collection of squabbling city-states and minor Lords. Also in this area were a number of Wizards who did claim areas of land for their own demesnes. One of these, a Lady Wizard whose name is lost, was known particularly for her cruelty. At this time, it is written that she did have an apprentice, Tarlov y'Koharitan by name. This Tarlov had been found as an orphan, only child of powerful wielders of Magic.

It is unknown what control she used to keep Tarlov in line, as it is also written that he became a powerful Celestial Wizard under her tutelage. The Elves speculate that she held his High Horoscope, but it is likely that we shall never know. It is known that he destroyed her, and took her keep and lands for himself.

At this time, the records say that a powerful alignment of the planets occurred, and that the ill effects were most strongly felt in the south, where great storms continued for nearly a year. In addition, Elementals of the most destructive types are said to have walked freely on the land, and tribes of Goblinoids ravaged the area, driven from their ordinary places by the severity of the weather.

After many months of struggle, an alliance of Humans, Elves, and others defeated the Goblins and the Elementals, and the storms lifted. In what has been called the Great Cycle War, Tarlov emerged as a great hero, but at the price of his left arm. In the aftermath of the destruction, Tarlov was unable to find a Healer capable of restoring his arm until it was far too late.

He swore that he would restore himself, whatever the price, and fled north, taking with him the valuables from his keep, and a small party of trusted servants. He settled in the south of what is now called Volta. He was not heard from again in the lives of his Human allies in the War.

Elven records show that, two hundred years after Tarlov's disappearance, reports arrived at the Throne of the Elven King at Din-Oth of a great evil that had arisen in the east. After several scouting parties failed to return, a Unicorn came to Din-Oth and pleaded for help. When the unicorn spoke of a creature calling itself Tarlov of the Ghost Hand, the King knew that he could wait no longer.

A force was sent from Quentari, bearing weapons of the greatest power. The leader of the force, Morathak Brightfire, had served in the forces which fought the Great Cycle War, 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 a usable arm.

Morathak, after the battle had ended, and Tarlov had been captured, said a number of things regarding Tarlov's power. He seems to have gained as much mastery over the Earth Magics as he had previously had over Celestial. In addition, he had many powers of the Great Lords of Undeath, but did not have their appearance, or their weaknesses. It appears that some speculation on his powers, and their derivation, was made by the Elves at the time, but those pages are even more damaged than the rest of the records. I am led to believe that the damage to this document was quite deliberate, and the additional harm to the specific pages is worrying.

Fearing that, in death, Tarlov's spirit would escape, the Elven Council built a prison in the mountains of Volta. There they placed Tarlov's spirit, and such of his items of Power as had survived. Using several Circles of Power, one inside another, and with the assistance of the Unicorns, the Elves felt that Tarlov would be unable to inflict further harm on the world.

The records of Tarlov end here, for the location of the prison is not written, and all those who were sworn to remember it in case of need perished in the Dimensional Wars. The trackless mountains of Volta have been searched for the valley that is described in the records, but nothing has been found.

The details of the prison are impressive, but fragmented, and shall not be spoken of here, as they are incomplete and therefore dangerous. The powers used in the construction are of more danger when misunderstood or poorly controlled than when properly bound.

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