Interpretation of the Mirror Wraith Prophecy (book)

An Interpretation of the Mirror Wraith Prophecy

Commissioned by Courtier Aliyrek Emiidaku of Shard
Written by Rroht Hhussk

It is a cold day in the year of the Crystal Hare when I write this account. Long did I study under my master, who bade me never speak his name; I wonder if he feared another presence would hear it in this dark tower. Yet these are his words, long scried from his portentous gaze and shadowy mirrors.

Are they true? I must believe the foul tale uttered from his breath for I am not Ru'at to him, merely the apprentice of his Tezirite ways. But it is fitting that I relate it, for I have not seen him now in many years and he would have wished it.

What you are about to read is an interpretation of the Mirror Wraith Prophecy, translated and updated from the eth'ral'khh writings that were given to me and also from conversations I have had with people involved.

Introduction

A gift, that is what the creature called it: The Prophecy of the Mirror Wraith. It spoke in simple inflections, rhymes of foul comings and change, but it ebbed through our guild, a dark omen, the night it was spoken. This is what issued from its hollow, rasping, voice; this is what we learned it to be:

Chapter 1: Three Deceivers and Their Importance

1 "Gather round, good worthies, and hear what I've seen,
2 Reflected in a glassy eye.
3 Heed the truth of my words alone...
4 ...For prophets never lie."

5 "Three Deceivers set forth upon the lands,
6 Emerging from the cold
7 -- While your protectors sleep and dream soft dreams
8 Their plans already unfold."

9 "No king! No squire! No heart nor reason
10 Can alone unturn this darkling treason,
11 But an army or a legion
12 Will find their weapons worthless lead."
13 "And here, pray allow, some light be shed."

We were warned, moreso forewarned, of three deceivers which would fulfill a prophecy. At the time, many speculated Sorrow's war was somehow involved, yet the warnings subtly told us not to be distracted by the fighting and politics of gov- ernment. This is specifically mentioned on lines 9 through 12. The hidden truth was that these omens and changes in- volved the Moon Mages guild alone.

Chatter among students and teachers filled the halls across Elanthia. Each of us began scrying for signs of a deceiver, one of the marked ones, to glean more of what was transpiring.

It would be much later before we learned the term "Deceiver" meant more than one thing. Originally, we all believed it to be three people. Once again, the mirror wraith had submitted subtle and esoteric meaning in each word. Each of the three deceivers were, foremost, one part of a three-fold artifact designed to tap the plane of probability. On a more refer- enced note, it also identified the persons who would play an integral part in this prophecy. Fortunately, the verses made an effort to identify those individuals (although we still debate the first two). And finally, it pointed to three obel- isks, each providing a link from our plane to the plane of probability. Within and without, trinity, the number 3, was the sign to beware.

Chapter 2: The First Deceiver

14 "To the first, a man with platinum eyes
15 that once reflected moons,
16 He grasps for all he cannot have
17 in a chamber of lapis and gold.
18 For the promise of power he'll bring forth change..."
19 "...And ruination, ere this tale is told."

Not one person I have spoken to has been able to decisively account for the true name of this person. The "platinum eyes" mentioned in line 14 could be anyone who used the semisphere. Andreathu's eyes specifically flickered platinum when he used it, but so would another's, were it in their possession.

Some scholars think this could have been Andraethu or Taramaine, but I refer them to a few notes:

On line 15, "that once reflected moons", suggests that this person was either once a moon mage, or has had their powers. This discounts Taramaine who always was a moon mage.

On line 16 and 17, the implication is that this person seeks mastery of our guild, powers, or ways. The chamber of lapis and gold is our Council Chamber in Old Throne City. While this could be Taramaine seeking control over the Council, it could also be Andraethu attempting to master our power over prediction. Insane as he was, he could also have sought more. Time and again, he was known to mutter about the device tel- ling and showing him things of the future.

This leads me to believe Andraethu Nor'Madielle, brother of Demosel, was the man referred to in the first deceiver verse. We know for fact that he succeeded in recovering a deceiver object by using a magical "trapezoid" he held. The device worked like a key, unlocking a tomb where the Moon Mage Council had secreted the bronze semisphere. Now under And- raethu's possession, he became a force to be reckoned with, accelerating the prophecy.

Chapter 3: The Second Deceiver

20 "To the second, once a warrior saint,
21 Now a fiend to the eyes of the blind.
22 Only one knows where his path truly leads,
23 Through battle, and aethyr, and time."

The phrase "warrior saint" cannot be ignored, and this is why I believe the Undead Hunter Kellior, who destroyed the scholar lich, Lady P., is this man.

The secret behind his tie to this elaborate prophecy is a music box that Lady P. (the "P" stood for "Penelope") kept in her possession. Rumored to hear the souls of children, we later learned that it was also a container for one of the deceiver artifacts, a smooth obsidian semisphere. The lich was immune to its effects, making her the perfect guardian.

Kellior, a suspected agent of unknown powers, tricked many by taking the guise of a paladin official. It was then that he deceived the people into believing Lady Penelope was an abom- ination. In truth, she was a creature whose only goal was to study and catalogue the mysterious "BloodWorm Comet", an omen heralding dark times. There are more important notes here, but they will revealed further on. I will lend mention to the man known as Grell Pel'cora. Some of us still believe he may be the person spoken of here. While there are some possible indications, I cannot truly ever see him as a "Warrior Saint". Quite the opposite, he was witnessed practicing the arts of thievery.

Chapter 4: The Third Deceiver

24 "To the third, a bone-yard, and a restless grave,
25 Lost in the trinkets of a tragic past.
26 When every hour is spent in delirium dreams,
27 A moment's peace is a fortune amassed."

The third deceiver is undoubtedly Lasarhhtha Oshu'ehhrsk, the S'Kra Mur "Bonedancer", as he called himself. There are many reasons this can be proven. On his land is buried all of his family and ancestors. This can be linked to line 24, "a bone- yard, and a restless grave". He was also the only one to gather "trinkets of a tragic past", which he stole, to attempt the creation of a "Gate of Souls".

This is where he was deceived, for the mirror wraith gave him the inclination and advice to use the deceiver artifacts; in turn, he was often delirous and disturbed from speaking with the creature.

Chapter 5: Warnings and Signs

28 "An artisan will become his final work,
29 When the stars begin to fall.
30 The first Deceiver re-awoken
31 -- And its brethren hear the call."

The artisan was a man named Mortreyu, who fixed an object known as the "Trapezoid". Andraethu promptly killed him for it, making it his "final work" and used the device to retrieve the bronze semisphere. Thereby, with the first deceiver "re- awoken", the remainder of the prophecy was set in motion.

32 "Trust not what you know, o worthies,
33 In a realm of confusion and strife.
34 Nothing is as it first appears,
35 Illusion the deadliest knife."

For once in this tale of double-meanings and hidden truths, we can believe this verse from reading it. But there will be some note of the illusions and confusions:

Many of us were divided. Some of us continued to follow and trust our Guild Leaders, while others rebelled. We were never clear on where the truth would come from, until the end. Till that time, we listened to the Council, to Lasarhhtha, Demosel, and even Grell for insights into where all of this would lead. It was only in the final days that we learned that the Council was hiding terrible secrets of our past.

Chapter 6: The Evolution of Darker Times

36 "With this weapon the Deceivers shall strike,
37 And a mighty blow be laid.
38 An ally will fall, one hope be lost,
39 In a grave that your ignorance made."
40 "One shall travel a province most unwilling,
41 Kidnapped by a righteous man.
42 Blood will be shed as it passes into
43 Strange circles and stranger hands."

Line 38, "An ally will fall", was the Lady Penelope, referred to earlier. When she fell, all her knowledge escaped our grasp; she had more insight into the possibilities of this prophecy than anyone among us. Had she survived, we could have been forewarned of the treachery behind the mirror wraith.

"Most unwilling", line 40: the music box was captured by Kell- ior, the "Righteous Man", and taken to Ilithi. But before he could cross the gondola, he was slain furiously by Demosel, and the music box which carried the obsidian semisphere fell, almost into the chasm.

In line 43, we note the passing of the semisphere to Kellior. No one knows who picked up the box, but rather it levitated from the chasm, gathered by a "shadowy figure". In either regard, it somehow came under the protection of a War Mage for- tress in Ilithi, where Lasarhhtha stole it. Hence, "Strange circles and stranger hands."

Chapter 7: The War over Truth

44 "While the wise mourn, the wiser take heed,
45 And brace against turbulent times
46 -- Now comes the season of discontent,
47 With a shadow o'er people's minds."

48 "War begins in an unlikely place,
49 Fought with precious metal and lies,
50 Sides are chosen,
51 lives are staked With a curse the only prize."

52 "Now two are one and one is lost,
53 Held in a sanctified place.
54 A dead man knows what the living do not,
55 But keeps a somber face."

Lines 48 through 51 are believed to represent the opposing factions of the Moon Mage Council. Some of them thought that the horrifying secrets they held should come out, while others felt that the truth would bring further separation of the sects and a breaking of the Lunar Accord.

Later in the prophecy, the two semispheres were brought to- gether by Lasarhhtha; the only piece remaining was a crystal- line key kept in the casket, a sanctified place, of Mortom Saist in Shard. In all his wisdom, he used his "death" to protect the key from being used to activate the deceiver artifact.

Chapter 8: The Revelation of a Secret

56 "A confession is a treacherous thing,
57 From a soul so weary and tattered
58 -- But words of truth will unmask the darkness...
59 ... And the work of five centuries, shattered."

60 "With hours left upon the clock,
61 And doomsday well at hand,
62 A midnight sun will shine upon
63 A forever altered land."

All who were there witnessed the tragedy revealed. Taramaine, glorious leader of the Moon Mage Council, released the truth, finally admitting on Taisgath Island the foul corruptions they had sought to keep locked away. Here is his confession:

"We've come far these past nine centuries.  We've accomplished
so much -- and yet, so little.  Has it all been for nothing?
When did fate snatch us all up and lay out our paths?  Where
did it all begin, that which conspired to force these events
into existence?  Did it begin over a thousand years ago?  Did
that one sorceress set the wheels of fate into motion?
Tezirah."

"She found an artifact, one begun five hundred years before
her time, but one unfinished.  She completed the device, and
she was determined to use it to cause destruction throughout
the Empire.  What's more, she practiced the foulest arts, the
corrupt sorcery.

"And so, they went to kill her.  They went to her manor, the
Imperials.  They tore it apart to find her.  They found in
there a path underground, and they took it.  There they dis-
covered the sorceress.  And there they discovered a massive
slab of stone, shimmering, pulsing -- surely, they thought,
this must be some instrument of her dark magic."

"Fools.  The obelisk predated even Tezirah, and was almost as
much a mystery to her as to them.  Nevertheless, it was upon
that obelisk that the Imperial soldiers hung Tezirah."
 
"Or tried to, anyway.  The instant before she died, she did --
something.  She tried to escape them, and failed.  And thus
began the reports of bat-winged skulls, and their connection
to Tezirah.  But her failed spell summoned a dreadful beast,
who proceeded to slaughter most of the soldiers.  The shadow-
master.  The Imperials fought it, losing many, but managed to
kill the beast.  Mostly."
 
"They burned Tezirah's Manor, they shattered the device, and
they collapsed the ground.  And they thought that was the end
of it.  Who would have imagined the uninhabited wilderness
where Tezirah made her hideout would later become the site of
the deciding battles of the Resistance War?  And that a major
city would be built there?"

"Hmmm.  Did it begin eighty years ago?  When we retrieved the
legendary Arte of the Black Cockatrice, and used it to create
the Y'Shai?  Or ten years later when we stumbled on Tezirah's
ruined mansion -- Mortom, Erzebet, Demosel, Grell -- and me.
We assembled the device, foolishly enough.  And lo, two sha-
dowmasters appeared before us.  So many died by their wicked
claws.  They killed excavators, students, researchers.  Two
Council Members died.  So much death; we had to stop it."

"It was then that I utilized that which I had never before
used.  Erzebet and Mortom joined in with me, adding their
power as well.  We had to stop the killings, stop the beasts.
And so we used sorcery to slay them.  It was the only option
left to us.  If we failed, the shadowmasters and their spawn
would descend upon the unsuspecting Crossing.  Countless would
die."

"I regret that, now.  Demosel refused to help, in that.  And
the mercenary Grell was wounded by a shard of the exploding
obelisk -- the obelisk we inadvertently destroyed with the
magics we had never before used.  And Shanrolias stepped in
the way of the spell.  The first Y'Shai to die.  We discovered
their secret then.  Horrendous.  We left the body there, we
left the manor.  By the gods, we hoped none would ever set
foot in there again.  Ah, but people did."

"It was a foolish hope. All along, it was fate for those de-
vices to be reassembled.  And when we split them up again,
certain it was the end of the artifact, destiny would see to
it that events brought them together again.

"And now you know it all.  Since the death of the Council, I
have been plagued by visions of a nightmare world, our world,
overrun by shadowmasters and the creatures of darkness.  Tene-
braelings, voidspawn, eviscerators -- the mortal races fleeing
in terror before death incarnate.  This world will come to
pass if that artifact is destroyed.  I've learned that, now.
That was its purpose."

"The only way to ensure that this never comes to pass -- we
must make the ultimate sacrifice.  In order to prevent our
world from being consumed by darkness, we must give up our
gift of foresight.  I am sorry.  I have devoted my life to the
Moon Mage Guild, but that it should come down to this!  Gods!
But there is no choice, no choice.  This world's fate hangs in
the balance.  The Mirror Wraith has shown me what must be
done, to save both Planes from destruction."

Again, the Mirror Wraith, lending its whispers, providing its council, decisively becoming the true deceiver of all deceiv- ers. For in the end, it was Tezirah, the Lady of Onyx and Crimson, who was the mirror wraith; it had been her plan all along. Her plans; the guise of treachery and double-dealings, the insertion of conspiracy to cause the guild to fold upon itself.

That day, as Taramaine sought to destroy our link to the plane of probability, he instead created a portal, one that allowed Tezirah to walk through. Upon those important moments, the destiny of all Elanthia was being enacted. Those present fought valiantly, including a man known as Pathian Quindinar, who risked his life and was pulled into the void as he pushed Tezirah back into the void. Barely, through ingenuity among the gathered mages, a spiritual beacon was created, allowing our friend to escape, but keeping the dark mistress trapped beyond.

Chapter 9:The Council of the Mirror Wraith and Close of the Prophecy

64 "And what of the future, o learned ones.
65 What will become of you
66 -- The choice resides in your hands alone...
67 ... And this is the only thing that's true."

A mirror wraith says, "And now you've your gift, if gift you still call it."

The matter of our future still remains uncertain. This is something we all can agree to and, as line 67 states, "this is the only thing that's true", is an ironic statement in itself.

For out of that day, there were new beginnings and old end- ings. A commune occurred: a "conception", and perhaps another plan for Tezirah to escape. At the same time, our guild was shattered, broken to where we are now; a gathering of people holding to traditions. Risen from its ashes, a new sect named the "Heritage House", whose goal is to return the guild to its former glory, has emerged.

Conclusion:

There are other things to speak of, matters which need greater detail, longer debate, and further scholarly pursuit. Yet, they have, for the most part, been touched on here. I am honored to relate what I can, hoping to enlighten those after us who will not remember this tale. As I walked the roads, speaking to those who remembered, I realized that to them, the past seemed better forgotten. I ask them now to consider the truth: Would it be better to pretend this never happened or better to embrace it. Back then, when the BloodWorm Comet ascended into our sky, the Moon Mage Council under leadership of Taramaine made their choice; today, we make our own.

Appendix A

Kellior's Tale

Introduction

Not many know of him, Kellior, the undead hunter. Even I do not know his last name after speaking with endless witnesses and studying countless reports. But yet, this man, if a man at all, was responsible for a large portion of history con- cerning the mirror wraith prophecy. Had he failed or done otherwise, things would likely be different today.

From where, no one knows, came a man clad in the garb of the paladin. He named himself an Undead Hunter, Kellior, as he strode into their guild, rousing support from the local populace in The Crossing. As he continued, more and more, anger began to well in the streets towards his cause which was, simply enough, to kill a lich named "Lady Penelope".

His spell was charisma, if there is such a thing, because he walked unscathed through the streets, seeking his adversary like a predator on the hunt. For some reason, the town, minus the speculative concerns of a few individuals, was behind him, cheering a warrior whom they had never known until that day.

Had she been aware she was a lich, Lady Penelope would cer- tainly have sought escape or perhaps even defended herself, but alas, her mind was filled with thoughts and research of another danger: an omen known as the Bloodworm Comet. Those that knew her remember this was her life's work, studying and interpreting the events behind this celestial object for the enlightenment of the moon mage guild.

On that day, in the year 351 of the Redeemer, leading a group of people with him, Kellior attacked the Lady Penelope in the Town Green, slaying her. All the while, she never resisted; her only action was to question why she was attacked. Killing the one person who could lay answer to future questions, Kell- ior's designs now succeeded. He ruffled through her belong- ings, gathering the true purpose of this murder, a musical box that she had guarded.

We now know that this musical box was more than we had origin- ally believed. At the time of its discovery, it was rumored to hear the souls of children, but in truth it was the special casing for an obsidian sphere, one part of the "deceiver" de- vice. Lady Penelope's position in this scheme was simple; she was its guardian. Whether she knew it or not is unknown, but because of her undead status, she was immune to its mind-dis- turbing effects.

With the lich dead and the music box in hand, Kellior had mostly succeeded in his mission; his only remaining act was to get to the lands of Ilithi. No witnesses or reports can say why he headed there or to whom. Soon after he left The Cros- sing, Demosel Dez'Madielle, a gypsy fortuneteller of no small repute, was led to Penelope's body, only to find her good friend dead and her personal effects scattered across the ground. This enraged her; she quickly gathered her allies and made chase after the undead hunter.

The road was long, but it took very little time for Demosel to track down Kellior. At the north side of the gondola he stood when she battled him. Unable to challenge her powers, Kellior fell before the might of Demosel, but not before the musical box fell from his grasp. All there witnessed what we thought to be the last account of this object, until it suddenly began to levitate upward from the chasm, into a shadowy hand.

Some of the accounts speak of a shadowy figure, others of a woman with dark hair, taking the music box away. Who was this person? Perhaps the mirror wraith of Tezirah that plagued our guild so many times? None can be certain. But it is certain that Kellior was an agent for another power, perhaps the dark lady herself. Unforunately now, we can only speculate because he is unable to answer our questions.

Kellior's Part in the Prophecy

Kellior, in the opinion of this writing, was the man spoken of as the "second deceiver". The verses say:

"To the second, once a warrior saint, now a fiend to the eyes of the blind. Only one knows where his path truly leads, through battle, and aethyr, and time."

Warrior saint is a synonymous reference to paladin, and in the mirror wraith prophecy, he was the only paladin present. We realize now that he was likely never a paladin, but only deceiving the guild to achieve his goal. I have heard some people say he may have been undead as well.

While the obsidian sphere was very important, the true blow he struck to us that day was when he killed Penelope, immortal- ized by this verse:

"With this weapon the Deceivers shall strike, and a mighty blow be laid. An ally will fall, one hope be lost, in a grave that your ignorance made."

The "weapon" of the deceivers is "deceit", which was used to cause confusion and turmoil among people. Penelope, we learn from Grell Pel'cora, would have been our greatest asset in interpreting the coming events and resolving the prophecy without bloodshed or conflict. By allowing her to fall, we had pierced our own wisdom and laid a final blow to our intel- lect. We were now stumbling children, left to find our own way. The last line of this same verse shows us our weakness in that we destroyed, or helped Kellior in destroying, our last chance for a peaceful outcome.

However it was recaptured, the passage of the obsidian sphere from Kellior to Lasarhhtha the Bonedancer is written in these lines: "One shall travel a province most unwilling, kidnapped by a righteous man. Blood will be shed as it passes into strange circles and stranger hands."

The "One" in this verse, is the "Obsidian sphere". Once the object was mysteriously recovered from the chasm, accounts say that it somehow came into the possession of a fortress in Ilithi. I have been unable to verify this, but it sounds very likely. From this fortress, Lasarhhtha would steal it, con- tinuing the prophecy.

Conclusion

Although his part in the prophecy was short, Kellior had a tremendous impact on the whole spectrum of events. His per- sonae is referenced in many verses: warrior saint, righteous man, deceiver -- all showing the importance of what one day of illusion, disguise, and trickery could do to an unfolding pro- phecy. With these events, the important point is to learn truth and trust. Had we taken the moment carefully, our guild may have withstood the tests of Tezirah, that we never be led so foolishly into a trap by our own hands. This is the lesson of the second deceiver.

Appendix B

The Mirror Wraith Archives: Of Lasarhhtha

One figure enmeshed and intertwined in the Mirror Wraith Pro- phecy was Lasarhhtha Oshu'ehhrsk, an old S'kra Mur who claimed to follow the ways of the Bonedancer. His tale touches on this one because of a continued quest to free the souls of his ancestors.

Within Lasarhhtha's past is a history steeped in tradition and mystery. In the land of Ratha, when the Dragon Priests of old dominated Qi'Reshalia, his family was noble, following a proud lineage of storytellers, thespians, and musicians. But once the World Dragon had been quelled into slumber, a hatred of bards arose in the land, causing his ancestors to leave the province. Shamed into dishonor for fleeing, many of them died poor and broken.

Lasarhhtha, heir to the Oshu'ehhrsk mansion and last of his family line, sought to bring this "curse" upon his kin to an abrupt end. It is suspected that he learned the ways of Kir the Bonedancer to gather lost knowledge for this cause. Com- bined with foresight and the ways of various other magics, possibly even necromancy, he began plans for the construction of a device that would free the cursed souls of his people.

Thus began the first sighting of note on Lasarhhtha in the Ilithi lands. Guided by a strange book, The Arte of the Black Cockatrice, which he had stolen from the Bone Elves, the old S'kra Mur carefully laid enchantments to open what he called "The Gate of Souls". From these foul magics, he created such a device. Meanwhile, across the streets of Shard, rumors of fluttering, shadowy creatures and strange guttural moans were said to be witnessed.

In light of the accusations that were mounting, it seemed certain that Lasarhhtha would be arrested, but before action could be taken, his experiment failed horribly. Blasts of spectral lights filled the sky in an explosion which destroyed his lab and released necromantic creatures we now call the germish'din or "faceless ones". Because of the confusion involved, and certainly with the appearance of undead crea- tures, Lasarhhtha was deemed a criminal and wanted by the Moon Mage Council.

His life's goal shattered, the Bonedancer fled with his re- maining tools. Some witnesses say he still dwelled deep in his mansion near Leth Derial from time to time, yet he remained uncaptured.

With his work a failure and much of his research destroyed, Lasarhhtha despaired of accomplishing his goal. This is when the Mirror Wraith first approached him. Using his desires and wants for its own gain, the creature whispered to the old Bonedancer, confiding in him a means to save his ancestor's spirits. It spoke of an artifact, already existing, that needed to be found and combined. Doing so would give him the powers he sought.

But that was not all. It also told him secrets of the Moon Mage Council: what they had been hiding beneath the sealed earth for seventy years. The more the S'kra Mur listened, the more he learned of how guildmembers were tricked by the lead- ership positions, people such as Taramaine and Erzebet, into complacency and ignorance. He soon understood that if he was to gain all three pieces of this artifact he needed, we would have to "pierce" this sanctuary of lies created by the guild and go deep into the earth.

Lasarhhtha became the third deceiver, as prophecy writes: "To the third, a bone-yard, and a restless grave, lost in the trinkets of a tragic past. When every hour is spent in delir- ium dreams, a moment's peace is a fortune amassed." This is when he began to shatter what trust the students had placed in their council; this is when he fulfilled his role.

Always elusive, Lasarhhtha stayed out of harm's way by using his horrible undead servants as distractions: while they would attack, he would sidestep, finding entry into the observatory and getting away, piece by piece, with materials or knowledge. In the meantime, he observed and gathered his allies, other students who were ready to rise against the council, always giving them just enough information to question authority. Lasarhhtha played this game brilliantly, slowly unfolding the guild from within as he acquired his materials.

From all this work, the Bonedancer managed to gather all three parts of the deciever artifact. Their very importance was to cause the opening of the gate of souls, so he believed. And at each step, the mirror wraith guided, carefully harassing the old S'kra Mur, manipulating the truth for its own gain. Lasarhhtha never knew that Tezirah Eilsina, she who was cap- tured within the void, was the one he was listening to.

It would be in the year 362, a day in the month of Moliko, when Lasarhhtha brought the pieces together near Leth Deriel. Shadowmasters appeared and summoned powers of darkness with them. Whether to cause chaos, or to ominously warn the council, the Bonedancer retreated to rest. His last warning was that he would use the full powers of the artifact within an andu. As the sun brought dawn to that day, so stood Lasar- hhtha within his mansion; the halls and rooms were laid with many traps and monstrous guards now, as if expecting "guests". He started the preparations which would free the spirits of his ancestors.

Words of power rang in dark tones and perhaps the ritual would have been finished, if not for a gathering of allies to stop him. Of the allies, came representatives of the Bones Elves, soldiers and hunters who had been hunting Lasarhhtha since he had stolen their necromantic lore. With the elves, various students and adventurers banded together; some had believed the Bonedancer mad, others feared what designs his practice might call forth. Together, this assortment of heroes ad- vanced on the mansion, taking on creatures frightful in power as well as Lasarhhtha. In the end, though, the old S'kra Mur was taken down, the ritual uncompleted; the artifact falling from his hands.

The rest of this ominous prophecy continues without Lasar- hhtha's presence, but it is said that Taramaine managed to acquire the deceiver device with the help of a mage named Ieshan, loyal to the moon mage council. Soon after, we would learn that it was not only Lasarhhtha, but virtually all of us, who were deceived.

To his tribute, I can say that those who knew Lasarhhtha Oshu'ehhrsk believed him an honorable person with a noble cause. Although much of his method was based on acts of thievery and destruction, his ultimate purpose was simple: to give the souls of his family peace. Unfortunately, that never came to pass.

By my hand,
Rroht Hhussk