Author: Sirrindiln
Notes: This story was written as the description of a Quest given to Sirrindiln by the Gods.
To the Folk of Avendar,
-Scribed by Sirrindiln, skilled not in pen nor tale.
Nimensday, 30th day of Nelennamir, 1073 Years after the War of Night
The day was fresh, and I had just arisen from my bed in the halls of the Tower of Aramril. No sooner had I clambered to my feet than there was one of the Tower's guards yelling -- requesting my presence at the entranceway to the Tower.
Upon reaching the entrance, horror stole it's way into my heart. A templar Knight of Enaerai was covered with a seething pox, and a terrible head wound caused a river of blood to course down his face. There was nothing even my mighty magics of healing could do for him...and he fell at my feet. He gasped a final breath, and in his last words he warned me of wraiths and undead abominations, and gave me an ancient artifact: the Amulet of Nalan Jal'hum.
Hastily, I rushed towards the Temple of Enaerai...It pained me greatly to see the place again... however, I had to know the cause of the tragedy of the death of the templar at my feet, and the properties of the evil artifact he had delivered unto me.
Upon reaching the Temple, I stopped short, needles of fear piercing into me very heart. For there, in the Temple itself, stood four skeletal warriors. The fear coursed down my spine, icy fingers caressing my heart as the warriors advanced upon me. I was alone, and prepared to do battle. Long did I fight, and I came to learn that they resurrected themselves infinitely, until holy water was thrown at their bones. Eventually, I defeated the undead warriors, and entered the Temple. The clerk was the only one standing within, and he knew little. It appeared that the wraith commanded the skeletons, and that he flew away in rage after finding that the Temple of Enaerai did not hold the item that my father, Tessolos, "stole". Though I knew my father was a horrible man, I could not believe him to be a thief.
I analyzed how the day had progressed up to that point -- I currently searched for what I had ran away from more than ten years ago...my father. However, in the midst of it was a wraith of substantial power and an ancient evil artifact.
The clerk told me that the last he was seen, Tessolos had stopped by the Tower of Salyra. So, it was there I ventured next.
Upon questioning the guards I was sent to the one nicknamed, "The Shuddeni". He admitted that there was an abnormally strong aura of magic about, blocking even his scrying powers.
Tessolos, I was told, headed across the Sea of Lidraeu to the Aelin city of Ilodaiya in search of strong-willed Aelins to devote themselves to his goddess, Enaerai.
He did indeed find what he was looking for...more mortals to follow him, however, I assume that in time the Aelin ousted him from their flying city. They are not fond of heretics or outlandish babbling. After returning, "The Shuddeni" said he was rent with passion and spoke of a tragedy and a great evil he must destroy to hold the balance. Using the scrying pool, Tessolos searched for places of Ancient magic, though all such locations were blocked to such attempts. With the seer's foreboding of danger, I set off to the Titan Castle to search out the Alathayran scholar of Ancient magic.
I then recruited Haloth to aid me in the slaying of the all-too-common Skeletal Warrior. We, united, and headed to the Castle. Qilaunin offered his wisdom, and told us that Nalan Jal'hum was a powerful wizard of the darkness, following the deity Askeri, The Dragon of the Void. He also spoke of power within the Amulet...it was an ancient evil power...however, there was another held within. The amulet's purpose was to hold a spirit, but for what reason I do not know. Nalan Jal'Hum's mind was not within the Amulet...only his power. I then realized that the Wraith was, infact, Jal'hum...
Qilaunin spoke of the danger held within the Amulet if it were in the hands of Jal’hum, saying that the end of the world could be close if such a thing were to occur. The fall of everything we know...We left on the note that only a Archmage of the Spirit could invoke the spirit of the amulet to find who was contained inside.
Sylvanne then joined us, and we flew into the clouds and entered Deshmin's Palace. There we sought out the good Lady Shil-rin. After a bit of explanation, she agreed to invoke the spirit of the amulet. The shade that was invoked and contacted, was that of...my father... The mere sight of him brought back to me the nightmares and horrid thoughts of the past... Of his brutal ways... The horror I once saw daily while I lived under his roof.
The shade of Tessolos went on to tell me of what he had done. He had sought out the Aelin, for they were strong in will and in heart. Too strong to ignore as potential converts to the ways of the Balance. He swayed a few of the young, for in him they saw idealism. Of these Aelins, one was my mother, the woman who did not give birth to me, yet guided me through my early years.
Tessolos had sought out a great Aelin excavation in the depths of an obscure mountain range, on count of a rumor of a cache of ancient artifacts. He had seen evidence and heard more rumors of a scholar in the excavation party, Naenlaru, being possessed by an amulet of great evil power. Tessolos, under his promise to the Lady Enaerai to destroy any items of great magic for either polar alignment, searched in vain for the scholar. The search for the amulet took many months and along it's course, Tessolos had found a counterpart, Lanjkala. Of the Spirit magic’s, and same race as he, She was as devoted to the pure as he the balance, and a crusader in all rights. They sought the same end to the Amulet and together they hunted Naenlaru.
They found him, and initiated battle on the Plains of Ilodaiya. In the battle, the possessed wizard's body was destroyed, but in the midst, Lankjala perished in saving Tessolos. My father rushed to the side of my mother, Lankjala, and was overcome by grief. From her I was born, and it was at that time my father tore me from my dead mother's womb, so that I would not die with her.
Tessolos saw in me his fallen love. He realized that it must have been Enaerai's will that I survived. Though, when he realized I was not devoted to the Balance nor would I ever be, he saw blasphemy. He saw me turning my back to Enaerai's will. On top of these feelings of anger, he often thought that I had killed my mother, and taken her place in some great toss of the dice. I knew of no reason why he hurt me, but this was evidence there was much turmoil that I did not understand. I still do not understand how a man can raise his hand to his son, however, it seems as though I look at him in a different light now...
Though the wizard's body had been destroyed, his consciousness and will survived. It sought the Amulet and Tessolos sought to destroy it. He had found the way, but the Amulet called for him. It beckoned him... With the lack of the now-freed wizard's spirit, it required another. Tessolos had drained into it, but failed to destroy the evil about and within it. His existence was the Amulet.
The Amulet containing Tessolos was held in the Knight's vault for a great deal of time, however, when the Skeletons and Wraith set siege, their defenses fell and the last Templar withdrew the Amulet and delivered it to the last descendant...Me.
His, the invoked shade's, departing words were the key to destroying the Amulet I held. I was to bring it into the heart of the Fire Chamber in Yithoul, into the Inferno. I was told that protection would be granted by a formula held by "... Septi...".
We left to Earendam to search out Septivar, the Alchemist. He saw us and still held the recipe for the salve he long ago had created for Tessolos. We sought out the items he required and the formula was started. Whilst he did this, we heard commotion and destroyed the Skeletons that set siege upon Earendam.
When Septivar was done with the salve we headed directly for Yithoul, and after a few mishaps in the Depths of Yithoul we headed to the Chamber. Before I stepped into the deathly inferno, the Wraith of Nalan Jal'hum offered me ultimate power and eventually my father and birth mother's life...it was a very hard thing to do, to resist the temptation of completeness. However, I knew that Tessolos and my mother had both chosen their own paths and had, in all ways, completed their lives. It was not my duty to call them back, nor alter their fates.
I applied the salve of caloric protection, and stepped within the inferno. After performing a benediction to the gods of Light, the wraith was obliterated by a white light. It was Nalan Jal'Hum's end. The amulet was consumed by fire and in a burst of black energy it was melted into nothing. This was my final sight for the backlash of the magic knocked me unconscious.
I awoke in the safe company of Bralus Farseer, "The Shuddeni". He had been watching me and used his magic’s to pull me out of the inferno. Bralus told me many things...Things that I will treasure until my life's end, and he gave me the ring my father gave him when he was being drained by the Amulet...In his acceptance to my heart and my chosen path.
It was a tragedy that the Temple of Enaerai had been charged and many died. I do hope that few others were hurt in the coming of the wraith. In this terrible course of events I have learned so much of myself, and my past. I felt far more complete after the end of my qyest than at any other point in my life. I believe strongly in the ways of forgiveness and in what I have done concerning my father.
Tessolos was a man of duty. His passion and devotion were by far the strongest I have heard of. The many people I heard speak of him remarked on these qualities of this, though many did not agree with what he fought for. His battles and choices were, to say the least, misguided.
I believe I have forgiven my father, and accepted him into my heart for what he is, although I still do not condone many of the acts he commited during his life. I also go so far as to believe that he has accepted me for who I am...He gave Bralus a ring, engraved with his name, and stated that only the ones who followed Enaerai could ever wear it...and then corrected himself, and added "Or his son".
So, as I see, I am still youthful, and I feel as if I have been blessed with the enlightenment of my past and future. There is much to happen in the future, though I doubt anything will surpass this night in rich emotion. Emotions of love, loss, hatred...and acceptance.
- Sirrindiln, Leader of the Champions, Son of Jolinn