Plarandariel’s Parchment

The gift of knowledge

Many have wondered why Plarandariel transcribed the secrets revealed by the angels to men, since he considers such sharing a mistake one would have expected more reticence about the concepts expressed in the Scroll. According to the most accredited opinion among scholars, he did not, however, report the deep essence of the secrets in the Scroll, but only a superficial description, intended not to add anything to the reader who is not already in possession of the sacred secrets, and thus ultimately the Scroll would be - in its author's intentions - fully intelligible only to the Elves.

"In the heart shrouded in the shadow of the ancient, shadowy forests, under the sacred vault of the beech trees, I, Plarandariel, write with a steady hand and a heavy heart. In this manuscript, I bear witness to the truth that the Descended Angels, in their unfathomable folly, have chosen to reveal to the children of this earth, the humans. This knowledge, once reserved for our Chosen People, concerns aspects of the very essence of life, the physiology of sentient creatures that inhabit our world, divided into nine fundamental parts. Thus, the Descended Angels taught Men how every sentient being is composed: 1. The Physical Body (Khat): A temporary temple, destined for decomposition at death. However, during life, the subtle parts reside in it.
2. The Second Body (Kah): Upon the death of the physical body, the subtle parts take refuge in it. It is the transitory identity, made up of thoughts, memories, and feelings experienced in life. After the death of the physical body, the Kah can anchor itself in a correctly mummified body or in a properly prepared statue, otherwise, it is destined to disperse and, by releasing the subtle parts, to initiate the second death, the definitive one.
3. The Ba: The archetypal memory of the Race, an unbroken bond that connects the individual to the racial archetype to which they belong.
4. The Ab: The heart, the seat of emotions and intelligence, the only organ that must be left in place during mummification.
5. The Secret Name (Ren): The power of a name is the archetype of all magic. Knowing it means having absolute dominion over things and the individual to whom that name belongs. It is the tool that allows enchanters and clerics, knowingly or unknowingly, the power to use their arts on objects and people.
6. The Akh: The immortal spark, belonging not to the individual nor to this world but to the sky, destined to return to its divine origin with the second death.
7. The Shadow: The invisible thread that binds us to incorporeal elements, a bridge between the individual and the Beyond - World, the First World from which everything originates.
8. The Heka: The vital energy that binds the various parts together. Only in the presence of a sufficient amount of Heka can an individual hope to communicate with the Seeds of the Pomegranate, through which one can communicate with the Gods and draw upon magic.
9. The Sekem: The true measure of an individual's power, which in death determines the duration of the Kah's survival.
As I write these words, my heart aches with sorrow. The Descended Angels, in their presumption, believed it right to share such secrets with Men. But Men, creatures of desire and conquest, lack the necessary wisdom to guard such truths without falling into temptation.
It is with deep realism that I foresee the dire consequences of this revelation. We have already seen what the Sorcerer, king of men for ages, and in no way different from his subjects, was capable of.
These words, engraved on this writing, serve as a warning: knowledge is power, but also danger. May the Gods protect us from what has been disclosed."

Plarandariel

Type

Manuscript, Religious