Transcription of Tarlov's Journals
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I cannot honestly say why I have chosen to pick up my quill at this time, and scribe down some of the events, which I have undergone. I have no need to keep a journal. No need to keep a remembrance of the mortal man I was, or a book of shadows to remind me of mistakes I have made. I am as far beyond these things as a mortal man, starting such a book would be beyond a gnat. I have no heirs or family to read my words, and even my useful little tools, such as Valdric show no ability to read the ancient Kohari lettering I still favor. I have no doubt that they will, especially Holmsong, endeavor to unlock the secrets such a book would possess.
Have you succeeded, Friedrich, my foolish friend? If so rest assured, I shall know it, and I shall crush you. Or perhaps not. It hardly matters. My existence is no longer something that any of them can hope to end. Ultimately, they could only desert and betray me, let my enemies know who I am. I am Tarlov y’Koharitan. Tarlov the Unbound. Tarlov the Ghosthand. I have outlived almost everything that knew me and opposed me. Indeed my name is all but lost to memory. Only the Sorcerer Kings will recall me, and perhaps, dear Arienwen, but they are nothing. Their games and prejudices make them easily destroyed or enlisted as need be. I do not have to decide which, just yet. I have all the time I need.
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Ah, Time.
Time is the crux of it all. I understand that now. It will be the last to be destroyed, save chaos. And what is mortal existence without time, save chaos? Until the ultimate spirit-rending nothingness that will make us all one, uniting fully the inhabitants of this paltry world. And oh, how the spirits of the living and the dead, finally brought together in the great oneness will exult my name!
But the intervening time is a lonely time, and I will not be thanked by anyone until the last bit of elemental slavery is shattered, and everything is nothing. Then the spirit’s all encompassing nothingness, wherein shall be everything, and I shall be One, and I shall be healed, as is right.
In the meantime, perhaps as a hobby, I shall fill up these pages and write my story. So, Friedrich, or Valdric, or even Elenaro Galaviersson, or whatever tool or enemy of mine takes this book into his or her hands, if you are reading this, then you have my congratulations, and admiration for your persistence. I hope that these pages will be all that you hoped, and more. But, Ultimately, they will do you no good.
I am Tarlov, and I will not be stopped.
Everything will be nothing. Nothing will be everything. All spirit shall be One! And I will have peace, at last. Dwell on this, and though your mortal, elementally bound consciousness will rebel and be horrified, you will feel inside your spirit a little exultation. For the spirit knows, and the spirit is free. And when all spirits are One, yours will remember my name and thank me, on bended knee, as it were.
I am Unbound now, everything else must become so, as well.
I will not be stopped.
Tarlov
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I will not dwell on my mortal life or the events, which led me to being Unbound. Suffice it to say, I was born Bound. My parents, Kings of the House of Kohar, ruled their kingdom, but were overthrown by the Sorcerer King who thought to make me her puppet, her apprentice, and her slave. But I waited, gained her powers for my own, and then turned them against her. I took back my kingdom by force, as she had taken it from me.
I married, and had a son. There was a war. They died. My hand was lost to me in battle, and still in the bonds of elemental slavery, I cursed my fate, blamed them all for what had happened to me. Had I known then what I know now, I should have thanked them. For only by loosing these mortal bonds of family and flesh was I able to find the path that led me ultimately to the road I now walk, If I may be allowed a touch of poesy... I think I may.
I traveled north with a few most loyal retainers, into a land I called New Kohar, but which the peoples of Evendarr call Volta. I established a laboratory, and began to hunt for ways to return my hand to normal, as well as regain the family I had lost. It was also during this time that I began a systematic analysis of the weaknesses of the beings we refer to as Elementals. These extra-dimensional beings, who seem intent on meddling in our plane of existence had been directly responsible for the destruction of my hand. I studied them as well as the two-edged sword of the arts of Earth Magic and Necromancy. Through forbidden and vilified rituals long since lost to the cycles of ages, I was able to summon up the spiritform of my lost hand. It acted in all ways like an actual hand, but I discovered two fascinating side effects. For one thing I was able to use it to directly manipulate the spirits of other living beings, for another I was no longer subject to many of the limitations those of total elemental subjugation suffered. I no longer seemed to exist in time quite as fully as other beings, and most elemental effects flow off of me like water off of a duck’s back. I find the trade to be well worth it.
I then suffered something of a setback. The King of Quentari, an interfering fool called Galavier, had been warned about me by unicorns. I found my tower under siege! He actually attacked my tower! Our battle was fierce, and it tore the land apart, but I am forced to admit, I lost. His strength, while not itself my equal, was enough in combination with his minions to throw me down. My wise enemy, perceiving that I could not be bound by elemental effects, utilized spirit magicks against me, binding three of his most powerful into circles around my prison. I had not yet mastered the Ghosthand enough to free myself, and indeed I was held suspended in enchanted sleep.
When I woke, I found that over a thousand years had passed. My rescuer was an ambitious young snip named Holmsong. With his help I rebuilt some of my power base in the north, and began my plans. But I found that my way of thinking had changed greatly while I slept. I began to ponder all that I had endured. I came to the crux of all my work and research, my Ten Points, my ultimate ten point theorem of universal freedom from elemental subjugation.
I. Elementals can exist in our plane, seemingly without damage to themselves, but we, when transported to their realms of existence, begin to experience pain, and even death.
II. Elementals of an opposite pairing, for example, order and chaos, seem to suffer deleterious effects from coming into contact with pure elemental matter of its opposite.
III. In theory, mortal beings are made up of a combination of different elemental matters, each separated from its opposite within the corporeal form.
IV. We know for a fact that each mortal being has, suspended within its corporeal form, a spirit.
V. Spirits are unable to be affected by elementals.
VI. There is no elemental of spirit.
VII. In theory, spirit is a non-elemental status, unable to be affected by the ongoing elemental conflict.
VIII. If spirit is non-elemental in nature, then all elements, including time, would have no ability to affect it.
IX. If time can not affect spirit, then spirit exists in a status outside of time. All spirits, past, present and future, must exist in some way unconnected to time, except when bound into the elemental prison of corporeal bodies.
X. If we reduce the amount of elemental matter in our existence, we can come closer to a state of pure spirit, in which all creatures that have ever lived are united in a state of freedom from elemental tyranny
I have experimented with many different kinds of elementals. Introduced them to magicks that are detrimental to their existence. In my youth I found it to be an exceedingly thrilling experience. Many individual elementals were destroyed before the long sleep.
During my long sleep, I experienced many revelations. The most important one was a full understanding of the vastness of the cosmos as a whole. Until all the elementals, including their own planes of existence, cease to be Tyrra and it’s inhabitants can never be free of elemental influence.
Therefore I must accomplish the destruction of all, and reduce all of reality and the cosmos to a state of pure spirit. This is my true, ultimate goal, though even the closest of my servants must not know. They are but mortal, even those that fall under the shroud of undead, and their minds are clouded by the elements of reality and insanity. They would oppose me if they knew. These most personal notes I shall keep encoded, and though I know the best of my servants could work it out eventually, I do not intend to give them the chance. This journal will stay close in the hands of the scribe I choose, spiritlinked. Such magicks are so paltry now, with the aid of the Ghosthand that I laugh to think how much difficulty mortalkind have with them. No matter, I shall gain a scribe tomorrow. Let them think that I plan to rule the world, that I plan to throw down Order and bring Chaos to the rise. Let them and the world think what they will.
My true plans will be clear only too late, and then no one can stop me. The final hour comes, and no foolish prophecy of kings will turn me back from the ultimate moment of my long road to destiny. And then I shall have my rest.
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Writing now, for His Most August Darkness, Tarlov y’Koharitan, is I Halgalan Ardenmore, Scribe.
His Darkness wishes me to report his words as closely as I can.
So I shall.
His Darkness speaks...
I recall the first time I killed a unicorn.
It was an amazingly liberating feeling. I had never done anything so deliciously forbidden. Even the rituals I cast to create and strengthen the Ghosthand were paltry transgressions next to this, the first damning step on the road to true Freedom.
Unicorns, we are taught, are the preservers of Life. They are creatures that most mortals would term “good”. This is, of course, patently ridiculous. There is no such thing as good or evil. It cannot be quantified. There is no magic, which can affect one and not the other. Morality is a lie. It is a comfortable fiction, which allows mortals to justify almost any atrocity they wish to, perpetrated by themselves or others. The things which I saw done by the forces of “good,” in the Great Elemental War would turn the stomach of some undead, and I have seen acts of kindness enacted by those who are “evil” that would make Quentari kneel in homage. Put aside all concepts of “good” “evil” “right” or “wrong”. All are simple lies to allow people to do what they wish. I, as the Unbound, feel no compunction to explain myself by such limiting terms. I do what I do, because it is what I desire to do.
This, of course, makes me “evil” in the minds of many that would be my adversaries. I f it comforts them to think so, let them. Someday, when all are united, they shall thank me for my efforts.
(Here, His Darkness ceased to speak, and instead, picked up a series of charts from his desk, examining their contents intently. They were in the same obscure script as the beginning of this Journal, so I was unable to decipher their contents. I choose, instead, to conjecture that His Darkness feels that he will be misunderstood until he has placed all of Avalon – indeed perhaps all of Tyrra! – under his rule. I of course am satisfied now that His Darkness does what is best for all of us. The others, narrow-minded fools, will have to wait to truly understand his greatness. But, hark, His Darkness speaks on, and I shall record his words, with haste.)
The hour is coming soon. I shall be free from this prison of mine, shortly. How ironic that I, the most Unbound entity in centuries, find myself imprisoned in these wretched circles.
But, no matter. What is Time to me? I have but to wait, and even this obstacle shall be surmounted. And, to fill up my days, I can plan. Soon the power of the Ghosthand will allow me to directly interact with these circles, and then I shall shatter them like glass. When that happens, I shall be Unbound forevermore. Nothing will call me back to a prison. My plans shall go forward unimpeded, and who will dare to oppose me further?
I am planning at this time to call together a great council of all those allied to Chaos. This will go a long way towards convincing my enemies that I am just another threat to be faced. I will allow them to underestimate me – to fail to see the scope of my plans. Let them think that the conquest of Avalon is my goal. They shall not know the true range of my power and ambition until it is much too late.
(At this time, His Darkness is looking at me most strangely, almost, as if
he’d let something slip he hadn’t meant to, and is wondering how I
will react. He asks me what I think his ultimate goals are, and when I reply
that I assume he intends to conquer Tyrra, he seems perhaps, a touch relieved.
He wanders away again, and I am forced to wonder- if Tarlov does not truly intend
to rule Tyrra, as his reaction would suggest, just how far-reaching ARE his
ambitions? Perhaps I shall ask him. More later...)
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For Tarlov, Prince of the House of Kohar, now do I, Andywn Azal set down words. His Highness has explained to me that his last scribe got too nosy, and he advises me against asking too many questions of him. I resolve to do only my work, then, writing down the words of the Great Man, and restricting my own curiosity, asking questions only to clarify a point that he makes.
Tarlov: I am calling together a Great Council of all the powers that are allied to Chaos. I shall call forth the Serpent Compact, the Heir of the Elf King, those who serve the Black Dragon, the Vampire, Maleva... everyone of import, except the wretched Council... You grow pale, my scribe... What know you of the Council?
Myself: Lord, but little. Is the Council of High Magicks allied to Chaos?
Tarlov: (laughs) No, girl. That Council owes no allegiances. I have no doubt they will send a representative though. They like to keep abreast of who their Masters might be in the future.
Myself: Then, Lord, if I may ask, of which Council do you speak?
(Here I fear I may have over-reached myself, for the look he gives me is dreadful...but then he makes a dismissive gesture with the glowing Ghosthand.)
Tarlov: It is of no import. A group of upstarts who think themselves clever. Maleva is ten times what they are, and I shall have her, and not them.
Myself: Her? Sir, I assume you speak of Maleva Von Perrish? I had heard that this creature was male.
Tarlov: Ah, but no. No, indeed. Maleva is a rather comely female. I look forward to seeing her. And perhaps we should invite Vordan. He might well enjoy the chance to get out from under the thumb of his oppressors.
Myself: The Kingdom?
(Tarlov here gives such a laugh that I shrink from him.)
Tarlov: I do have some secrets, my scribe. Leave off your questions, and help me prepare invitations.
(For some hours, I help him to pen invitations to this “Chaos Summit” as he refers to it, jokingly. The names are some of the worst beings I have ever seen, but he has forbidden me to take down the names in his journal. I do not understand why, but I must obey, or suffer the same fate as my predecessor.)
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Once again, a scribe has gotten too nosy for their own good. Ah, well, Perhaps switching to another set of letters will slow down Valdric and Katherine. They have been asking a lot of questions, and I believe they now have a stronger idea of my true motives. But truly, even if they left my service, and told my enemies everything they know of my plans and myself, they could not do me any real harm.
Step one has gone without a hitch, and Elenaro Ar-Din is now my most unwilling guest. I pride myself that despite the resemblance and relation to Galavier, I truly feel no desire for vengeance or any such nonsense. I am content to use him like the tool to my ends that he is, and let everyone believe that I am taking my retribution. I expect this little demonstration of power will impress everyone at the summit.
The Chaos summit was a great success. It is intoxicatingly funny to see how easily it is to lead such powerful entities down the wrong path. Being petty creatures and so full of selfish ambition, it is a pitifully simple task to make them believe that I am the same. And in any case, they barely need any urging to set them on the road to an increase in general disorder. They are exceedingly useful pawns.
Both Maleva and Vordan took my hints about the Council, and I am hoping to gain their further confidences. They both have much to gain in the destruction of these fools, and only a few words dropped, here and there, should be sufficient to goad them into attack.
Amusingly, someone came claiming to represent Sakalid. I allowed that, even it the old fool had not been destroyed; he would not have been invited. The silly boy then asked me to prove that I was who I claimed to be, and I obliged, of course, by tearing out his spirit. The effect on the crowd was most electric.
More amusing still, The life-knights came, attempting to disguise themselves. As is such overwhelming energy could be disguised with a bit of sackcloth. It was too perfect. The life-knights, if no one else, will betray my plans to the enemy. Let Evendarr and Quentari waste their time chasing after deathknights, necromancers, and vampires. I myself have more important things, if the rest of the guests at my little party had known, surely they would have been torn to bits. I couldn’t resist making a little comment to let them know I knew they were there. I hope this does not make them realize that I wish them to bring news of my meeting to their masters. I brought out Elenaro’s amulet at the meeting, and the effect it had on my guests was well worth every bit of effort it took to retrieve it. Morlith, of course, wheeled to have it given to him, but I would have none of it. I sent it back with the poor silly creature that had brought it to me. I wish I could be there to see the effect it has on those it is returned to, but alas, some limitations bind me still.
All in all I cannot comment more happily on the outcome of the summit. I feel I can now safely turn my attention to other matters, and allow the agents of Chaos to do what they do best. Now I must turn to my other allies and point them in the right direction. That could potentially cause more havoc than all the rest of my tools combined. After all, the Sessai are far more numerous.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Only one more circle separates me from freedom! Oh, Galavier, Wily foe, if you could be here to see that the same powers you used to trap me, funneled from your son, have been used to crash a hole in my prison, oh, the woe you would feel! But I am free of the second circle at last! Now only one circle waits to prevent me from freeing myself, and what is more, I have the knowledge of how to break it! I need only wait ‘til the energy build up within me, and then I can snap my bonds with no further outside influence. Oh, delicious! Oh, sweet and pure freedom! Weep slaves of the elementals, because you shall be freed, whether you wish it or not! I am Unbound, and I will make the world Unbound with me!
One other event of minor note, one of Elenaro’s rescue party, as if I wouldn’t have given the broken little elf back when I was finished, was the infamous Nork, who used the temporal weapon against Guxx some years back. Another was a wild elf by the name of Ehawk, who goes by the title “ Forestlord of Ravenholt”. Nork, the fool, actually accepted my challenge to step into my circle. Once there, I simply let him rain sword blows on me, then paralyzed him when it amused me to do so. As I prepared to take him away and take information from his spirit, the Forestlord launched some kind of power at me. It was a magickal challenge, backed by the power of an elemental manifestation called the Joyous Guard. I was unaffected of course, and gave it back to him, along with a little seed of my own will. No doubt he will be useful in the future.
Nork also had elemental protection. As I was preparing to torture his spirit for information, a Life elemental manifestation called Celeste challenged me. I cut her down of course, but not before she helped Nork escape. Well, it matters not; my touch is in him as well.
Things go well with my plans. The Kingdom of Evendarr is much too busy fighting the war with the Sessuar Imperium to worry about coming against me.
Ah, but still, they think on me.
I received an amusing communication from my agent in the Evendarr Capital. It would seem that the king has received a communication from Stormhaven, on of the spies at my summit. He describes me in his letter as “petty” and “blinded by my own ambition”.
Wonderful! I could not wish for a more definite confirmation of how little my enemies suspect of what I am truly doing. If they knew, they would ignore all else, and come against me. This is truly splendid news!
I am beginning to grow weary of my game with the Imperium. I think it is time that I wiped the slate clean. After all one wishes to be appreciated for one’s plans, and they have done what I asked of them. I have recently devised a spirit-affecting plague that specifically attacks those of the Imperium, and I will use it to get rid of most of the ones that remain in Avalon. After all, I don’t need the Kingdom to fall under the sway of the Imperium, and I could always make such a plague for Evendarrians, if necessary.
Word from the elven front suggests that Elenaro has gotten word of an object called the “amarth ma nazgul” which in our tongue means “doom if the ghosthand”.
Quaint.
I shall have Thorna find out what it is all about.
It seems I have slightly underestimated Galavier. This Amarth ma Nazgul might be able to set me back slightly. My elven agents indicate that Elenaro is headed to a town called Padash, which is mostly inhabited by Sarr. Curious. I will send a few agents there. If Elenaro is made of stuff half as strong as his father, I may be in for a battle. Especially if Arienwen and Mirtaur back him up completely, as I suspect they will, and Evendarr backs them up in turn. I must find a weak link in their chain. There must be a way to break their circle.
I must be wary of further underestimating my enemies. Elenaro and his people have recovered the Amarth Ma Nazgul, and now I must take note of whether or not it actually poses a threat to my plans. I doubt it, but I grow wary of making a mistake again. The House of Ar-Din rises against me, save for Morlith, and I have little doubt that he will betray me before the end. It was most amusing to lock wills with Arienwen again. She has grown stronger since last time, but she has simply reinforced to me the fact that no one of my enemies can stand against me. It is only in tandem that I truly need to worry over them, and from what happened in Padash, this is a very real threat to me. The kingdoms of Myrr, Quentari and Evendarr are more strongly connected than I originally realized, and I must be ready to face their combined might. There must be something I can do about them...
I have just had report that Maleva is destroyed. Ah, Well. Tools are easily replaced. Still it is a shame. She was the closest thing to an equal I have had in this time. She understood, all too well, the frustration and anger of being imprisoned. I wonder what might have been different had we both been mortal.
Tarlov, you old fool! Do not now become sentimental in the face of victory. She was nothing more than a comely tool. She is destroyed. I must ignore this setback and go on with my plans. I will be reunited with her as well as others I have cared about, when all become one in the great spiritual unity that I am creating.
This must remind me to not underestimate my foes. I will not be so easily put down. But I would not have imagined them capable of defeating Maleva. It is an object lesson to me, and I shall take it as such.
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Lonely...
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My continued researches with the circle have led me to a fascinating discovery. It would seem that due to the control I exercised over these lands before my imprisonment, I posses a spiritbond with the land itself. This is truly fascinating, doubly so, because so do a number of my enemies.
This places an interesting weapon in my hands. I can attack the bond of the local Baron, and through him, his Count, his Duke, his Prince, and Yes, even his King. And if I can sever King Mykel’s bond with the land, it will obviate any need I have to worry. Without a Crown of the Heart they cannot hope to fulfill the prophecy they cling to. So, for now, even though I am so close, I must bide my time and wait.
I am very good at waiting...
Also, I as getting tired of doing my own writing. I think I shall acquire another scribe to record my triumph over the final circle.