The World of Telvar

The party can easily be home by then, maybe even Rangorn, who has stopped in Petethal to get trained to 6th. (Sahrak did get 5th illusionist, but I'm not sure what routes he would choose)

On the night of the 21st of June, 2185, the party is assembled in the library. Orimaxes has brought six scrolls and requests Elendwhen to help with the handling of the scrolls. Farah, the cleric of End, Dari, Xavier, and Alegra are all gathered in prayer (and _chants_). Orimaxes insists on Ceydric's presence, but the others are asked to stand well clear. Divinations have failed. The field of ignorance seems to cloak the future, but Orimaxes is confident.

Orimaxes reads the scrolls one after another. The language is difficult and is in no tongue familiar to the party, but somehow seems to be a list of crimes. Tellah smiles broadly through the whole list is read, seemingly unthreatened by the process. As the sixth scroll is handed to Orimaxes he walks right up to Tellah and reads it. It is different and confusing, it sounds like a protection scroll of some sort, it has the same musical lilt.

Finally, Orimaxes steps up to Tellah and touches him on the forehead. There is a brief glow where his fingers touch the faint skin...

Suddenly, there is a flash and things are strangely transposed. Orimaxes' skin turns sallow and his eyes uniform and it is clear that Tellah is free. His eyes flash with their hazel tone and a smile appears. But only for an instant. A strange ghostly hound appears - larger than the volume of the library, but fitting easily within its walls. There is a howl. The building is filled with terrible wailing. And he is gone.

The library is silent. Orimaxes stands in the center of the library. His expression is blank, his skin pale, his eyes a disturbing uniform blue, the strange jewelry hangs about him, but he is wearing his own simple scholar's robes instead of Tellah's bright red robes. He states simply: "The library is open. Such would be the wish of the Council."

A little more is explained in a letter by Orimaxes. It is in the keeping of the Middle alchemist, bound by the Brotherhood's pledge not to reveal its existence until your return from Tan-El. Orimaxes has placed himself in the prison intentionally. Within the _Chains_of_Binding_ Tellah was still protected from even the gods. Perhaps they could have been broken. Orimaxes is unconcerned. After the death of his children at the hands of the cult, he has thought of little else but the extermination of them. At his age, Orimaxes might have lived another decade, but it is unlikely. As the new librarian he will be immortal. Mentally tormented, but alive and able to remember things. He stands as a resource to fight the evil of cults, able to grope in his mind for information, for eternity. The instant of freedom of Tellah was dangerous, but it was the way that would most likely to succeed in destroying Zardos, and achieve the old sage's goals.

Tan-El's greatest threat is gone forever. The library stands intact and still empty, but now it opens and closes at the limited will of Orimaxes with one phrase: "Such would have been the wish of the Council."

The next evening there are distant hoots - perhaps it is Mentor, perhaps not - but in any case the Grim has vanished without even an appearance.

Technical Notes:
So, the Tan-El project starts in more earnest starting June 21, 2185.
Story awards rose as high as 33,000 xp. Some final notes on character status:

Eli: still in 9th (206 k)
Alegra: 9th level gained
Ludo: 9th level gained
Cedric: 8th level gained
Xavier: 8th level gained
Canstin: 7th level gained
Rangorn: 6th level gained
Sahrak: 5th/6th level gained
Theo: still in 8th
Mordrick: no advancement

Cassana: 6th level gained
Dari: 7th level druid gained
Snag: 6th if he doesn't have it
and is still alive in 2185...

Henchmen who gained one level:
Star to 6th, Sean to 2nd, Fmu to 2nd, Arabika to 2nd

Many congratulations to the Stone Soules.
Privileged to referee you,
Edwin Anderson-