Touch of the Tellurian

Touch of the Tellurian is a tome stored within the libraries of Chalimar.

## Description

Written by Sar Roli, a famed historian and arcane researcher associated with the Astedian Empire, Touch of the Tellurian is a discussion piece focused primarily on the Primordial Elemental Prince Nuldomul, sometimes known by the epithet Spirit of the Tellurian. By nature of the topic, much of the text is highly speculative.

## Research

### Completed by Ashewan Norvegicus - Inquiry (Study)

Whether by the name of Nuldomul, or one of many titles ranging from the Stoneheart Despoiler, Terrene's Flesh and Spirit of the Tellurian, the Primordial Elemental Prince most commonly associated with that of the bludgeoning might of earth and stone is infrequently cited in literary works and art pieces, but, much akin to the other Primordial Elemental Princes, little known to the common folk. After all, for what purpose what they know of such matters, the Princes were forces of nature personified, spawned of uneven and ever-changing chaos, from layers infinite to lands shaped by the Lord in the Quiet Places? No, instead it is the scholarly folk that make reference to this fearsome entity, a mountain that moves, from which further hills and valleys and peaks rise and fall, as if to answer beck and call. The destruction wrought in the wake of the Stoneheart Despoiler granted it such a title, for the Valley of Iotl, through which souls pass onwards to the Beacon of Souls kept by Yaldin, was said to have been desecrated by the passage of Nuldomul, despoiling the lands watched over by the Thunderqueen, and thus garnering the psychopomp of the Ahlusian Pantheon's ire. Along with the seven other Primordial Elemental Princes, Nuldomul was said to have been banished from the lands of Ahlus during Aita's First Gift, cast into the Planes of Existence beyond in exile, preventing further destruction to the lands soon to be occupied by the Principal Races. Though initially intended to be bound to the Plane of Earth, Nuldumol instead found themselves loosed into the Heroic Domains, without means to return or transition between the ethereal borders for sake of the safety of all.

A land of mountainous peaks, sweeping valleys, vast forests populated throughout by civilisations ancient filled with warriors of legendary prowess, those few individuals that have travelled to the Heroic Domains have confirmed that it is within the Plane that Nuldumol is said to linger. Tales of grand hunts of the elemental beings conjured by the mere presence of Terrene's Flesh are seen of confirmation by scholars that the collective divine intervention - in the truest sense - by the Ahlusian Pantheon to cast aside these creations of chaos has since held. As the Elemental and Outer Planes continue their orbit around the Prime Material, it does indeed seem that despite periods of near-coterminous circumgyration the Prince has no means with which to return to the soil and stone of Ahlus, and thus one should surely fear not that its ilk will ever shatter towns and cities under foot ever again.

Somewhat controversially, while researching this tome, by through means afforded to myself by the generous backing of the High College of Claxinns, I was fortunate enough to interview Admiral Ornard Mivtach. A name familiar to many, most often with notoriety from outbursts of nonsense and gibberish at high profile events, Ornard was once considered amongst the most esteemed and capable military commanders of the Astedian army, responsible for leading the 1st and 2nd Aerial Fleets during the conquest of Halholm, and later still serving in auxiliary support roles to terrestrial troops at the Siege of Iron. At the height of his acclaim, Ornard suffered a supposed mental break, raving repeatedly of the weight of a mountain hanging at his throat, pressing upon his shoulders. He reported that everywhere he walked, it seemed that he was dragging behind him a great burden, tethered at his waist by chains that threatened to anchoring him in place as a cornerstone or lynchpin. Psychological analysis by both the High College of Claxinns and the College of Anthropology of Halima found naught aberrant with his mind, even when the Admiral started scrawling depictions of a vast walking mountain upon his chamber's walls, using whatever medium was available to him. I have suspected that the entity that Ornard concerned himself with was indeed Nuldomul upon examination of these sketches, finding them akin to those obtained through frottage of Ysgardian reliefs by explorers depicting battles with elemental spirits. I had sought to further question the Admiral on these links, given that at no point had he ever crossed the boundaries between Planes to witness these artworks for himself, nor had any historical interest in such matters, but he was found dead in his chambers before I had such a chance, delayed in my return as I was investigating the Sacaran Seism at the time. Those that tended to Ornard that morning reported that his demeanour had changed significantly for the better - thus furthering the surprise at the subsequent turn of events. I weep for the loss of this soul, not just for the information and inquiry lost, but rather how far a once great soldier had fallen by this unexplained 'Touch of the Tellurian'.