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Explorer
87—The Memory Charm, part IV
The Second Life
Born of a refined but common mother, Taran and Thelbar were again brothers. Again, Thelbar was the elder, and in many ways the strength of their previous lives was imparted into this new one. Taran took up the adventurer’s sword, and Thelbar excelled in magic (although he would never again attain the heights of his former life—the knowledge of the Balancer had become the jealously guarded secrets of Isk’s new premier wizards—Thelbar’s former apprentices.
They were born into the wild North—an area separated from the Ishlokain Empire by a mountain range, and from Isenthal (by now the great Southern power) by a vast distance of small city-states, barren plains and impassable forest expanses. The North was a dynamic and unforgiving place—populated by rampaging monsters, aggressive orcish and goblinoid clans and few civilized communities.
In this life, as in the last, they rose to great personal power, playing at politics among the small human settlements, and through their efforts were able to tame a small section of this land and establish a kingdom there. Rethmiir was its name, and while it was humble by the standards of the Isenthanian South, it possessed the hallmarks of the brother’s hands: Rethmiir was aggressive and militant, and desired expansion above all. The other Northern human settlements were eventually absorbed, either through diplomacy or war, depending on the pride and tenacity of their rulers.
Thelbar fell in love with the daughter of one of his most bitter political rivals at this time, and eventually married her. The beautiful lass proved more than his equal in matters of statescraft, and bore him two children—twins, a boy and a girl. These twins seemed destined to follow in their father’s footsteps, and had a magical quality about them that was evident from birth. Their uncle Taran was disappointed, however, as neither of them were the sorts of rough-and-ready children he might have enjoyed playing with.
As Rethmiir was established and its most pressing enemies quelled, the brothers were reunited with an old friend. Kyreel again joined with them, like the brothers continuing on where he had left off in his former life, as a paladin to Ishlok. As he had in the past, Kyreel arrived with a mission—in this case, he was interested in the machinations of an aggressive band of giants discovered in the deep earth beneath the Northern realm. Fearing for their fledgling kingdom’s safety, the brothers set out with Kyreel to punish and destroy these giants. They learned that the creatures were allied with a large network of drow living within the deeps beneath the North. Pressing onwards (and downwards), the three adventurers eventually confronted the manifestation of the demon-goddess Lolth herself. In the ensuing battle, Kyreel was the only member of the three that proved resistant to her magics, and Lolth’s avatar was destroyed, banishing her from Isk.
As would prove to be her practice, Ishlok responded to Lolth’s divine intrusion by sending mortal worshippers into the face of a goddess’ wrath. No doubt, many failed, but as of yet, these three Rethmiirians had never done so.
Kor’En Eamor and its Champions
Indianichus Silverleaf was an Isenthanian scholar specializing in Dwarven Lore, and it was in Isenthal that he first learned of the existence of a great Dwarven Delve believed lost to time. He used his contacts to gather the funding for an exploration, and convinced (among others) a stout cleric of Moradin, young scion of the well-respected Bluebeard Clan, to join him. They plumbed the depths of the First Home, and after finally defeating a balor and its demonic allies who wished to draw the place into the Abyss, Alvodar was seated as its king, and the First Home was joyfully resettled.
Kor’En Eamor was within the mountain ranges between the Empire of Ishlok and the Rethmiirian North, and what began as a diplomatic envoy soon blossomed into an adventuring friendship. Alvodar joined Taran and Thelbar for a time, as did Indianichus.
Indy, in particular, proved very helpful in assisting Taran on a foray into the very place between lives—the realm visited by Iskian souls as they awaited their rebirth. In that strange and mystical place, Taran and Indianichus were able to secure the soul of Galathonriel—a silver dragon that had found a strange half-life as the animus within a bane weapon. Taran’s weapon, as it happened. Once back within the mortal realm, Indianichus and Taran used an artifact to create a new body for Galathonriel. What had been an intelligent sword was revealed in his full grandeur, and the Silver Dragon was taken as the state symbol. Galathonriel himself became a staunch ally and close friend to Taran, helping him administer his Kingdom, and acting as a powerful visual reminder of the young King’s personal power.
Alvodar returned to his Kingdom, and Indianichus to his studies. Kyreel had taken a position overseeing Rethmiir’s diplomatic corps, and so Taran and Thelbar were often left to adventure alone. Their adventures took them out into the wider multiverse, and ignorant of their former lives, they re-made many of the same enemies, smiting demons and devils in their home planes, and finding tutelage or allies amongst the great powers of the planes.
At this time, Taran discovered an unsettling truth—he and his brother had believed themselves commoners, but in fact, they were descended from the line Tar-Ilou. The name “Tar-Ilou” is an Ishlokain phrase than literally translates into “Goddess’ Hand,” and was none other than the family of the former imperial line! While it was widely believed that the Tar-Ilou line had been wiped out in a murderous coup, Taran soon began to claim that one true Tar-Ilou heir survived the massacre—his mother. Taran’s gaze wandered to the East—to Ishlok, and to the empire that he came to believe should be his.
War
As the cruelest histories are often unknown and unexamined, it becomes an axiom of life that the greatest mistakes are made to be made again. Against the anvil of Kor-En Eamor, the Ishlokians crushed Taran’s army, ended his dreams, robbed him of his dignity and sent him back into the pasoun with a message for his goddess: “not in our world”.
The Second Life
Born of a refined but common mother, Taran and Thelbar were again brothers. Again, Thelbar was the elder, and in many ways the strength of their previous lives was imparted into this new one. Taran took up the adventurer’s sword, and Thelbar excelled in magic (although he would never again attain the heights of his former life—the knowledge of the Balancer had become the jealously guarded secrets of Isk’s new premier wizards—Thelbar’s former apprentices.
They were born into the wild North—an area separated from the Ishlokain Empire by a mountain range, and from Isenthal (by now the great Southern power) by a vast distance of small city-states, barren plains and impassable forest expanses. The North was a dynamic and unforgiving place—populated by rampaging monsters, aggressive orcish and goblinoid clans and few civilized communities.
In this life, as in the last, they rose to great personal power, playing at politics among the small human settlements, and through their efforts were able to tame a small section of this land and establish a kingdom there. Rethmiir was its name, and while it was humble by the standards of the Isenthanian South, it possessed the hallmarks of the brother’s hands: Rethmiir was aggressive and militant, and desired expansion above all. The other Northern human settlements were eventually absorbed, either through diplomacy or war, depending on the pride and tenacity of their rulers.
Thelbar fell in love with the daughter of one of his most bitter political rivals at this time, and eventually married her. The beautiful lass proved more than his equal in matters of statescraft, and bore him two children—twins, a boy and a girl. These twins seemed destined to follow in their father’s footsteps, and had a magical quality about them that was evident from birth. Their uncle Taran was disappointed, however, as neither of them were the sorts of rough-and-ready children he might have enjoyed playing with.
As Rethmiir was established and its most pressing enemies quelled, the brothers were reunited with an old friend. Kyreel again joined with them, like the brothers continuing on where he had left off in his former life, as a paladin to Ishlok. As he had in the past, Kyreel arrived with a mission—in this case, he was interested in the machinations of an aggressive band of giants discovered in the deep earth beneath the Northern realm. Fearing for their fledgling kingdom’s safety, the brothers set out with Kyreel to punish and destroy these giants. They learned that the creatures were allied with a large network of drow living within the deeps beneath the North. Pressing onwards (and downwards), the three adventurers eventually confronted the manifestation of the demon-goddess Lolth herself. In the ensuing battle, Kyreel was the only member of the three that proved resistant to her magics, and Lolth’s avatar was destroyed, banishing her from Isk.
As would prove to be her practice, Ishlok responded to Lolth’s divine intrusion by sending mortal worshippers into the face of a goddess’ wrath. No doubt, many failed, but as of yet, these three Rethmiirians had never done so.
Kor’En Eamor and its Champions
Indianichus Silverleaf was an Isenthanian scholar specializing in Dwarven Lore, and it was in Isenthal that he first learned of the existence of a great Dwarven Delve believed lost to time. He used his contacts to gather the funding for an exploration, and convinced (among others) a stout cleric of Moradin, young scion of the well-respected Bluebeard Clan, to join him. They plumbed the depths of the First Home, and after finally defeating a balor and its demonic allies who wished to draw the place into the Abyss, Alvodar was seated as its king, and the First Home was joyfully resettled.
Kor’En Eamor was within the mountain ranges between the Empire of Ishlok and the Rethmiirian North, and what began as a diplomatic envoy soon blossomed into an adventuring friendship. Alvodar joined Taran and Thelbar for a time, as did Indianichus.
Indy, in particular, proved very helpful in assisting Taran on a foray into the very place between lives—the realm visited by Iskian souls as they awaited their rebirth. In that strange and mystical place, Taran and Indianichus were able to secure the soul of Galathonriel—a silver dragon that had found a strange half-life as the animus within a bane weapon. Taran’s weapon, as it happened. Once back within the mortal realm, Indianichus and Taran used an artifact to create a new body for Galathonriel. What had been an intelligent sword was revealed in his full grandeur, and the Silver Dragon was taken as the state symbol. Galathonriel himself became a staunch ally and close friend to Taran, helping him administer his Kingdom, and acting as a powerful visual reminder of the young King’s personal power.
Alvodar returned to his Kingdom, and Indianichus to his studies. Kyreel had taken a position overseeing Rethmiir’s diplomatic corps, and so Taran and Thelbar were often left to adventure alone. Their adventures took them out into the wider multiverse, and ignorant of their former lives, they re-made many of the same enemies, smiting demons and devils in their home planes, and finding tutelage or allies amongst the great powers of the planes.
At this time, Taran discovered an unsettling truth—he and his brother had believed themselves commoners, but in fact, they were descended from the line Tar-Ilou. The name “Tar-Ilou” is an Ishlokain phrase than literally translates into “Goddess’ Hand,” and was none other than the family of the former imperial line! While it was widely believed that the Tar-Ilou line had been wiped out in a murderous coup, Taran soon began to claim that one true Tar-Ilou heir survived the massacre—his mother. Taran’s gaze wandered to the East—to Ishlok, and to the empire that he came to believe should be his.
War
As the cruelest histories are often unknown and unexamined, it becomes an axiom of life that the greatest mistakes are made to be made again. Against the anvil of Kor-En Eamor, the Ishlokians crushed Taran’s army, ended his dreams, robbed him of his dignity and sent him back into the pasoun with a message for his goddess: “not in our world”.
