The Decayed Tomes

The Decayed Tomes are a pair of old and damaged tomes found by the Zenethian Heroes above the Flower of the King in Endor, the First Mountain.
It is believed these tomes are from before the Third Age. In the Fifth Age, the tomes are in the process of being repaired, though the process is incredibly slow. The tomes seem to contain information about the Severance.

Description

The Decayed Tomes were originally composed of bound paper. They appeared to be written long before the Third Age and were stored within an abandoned temple above the Flower of the King in Endor, the First Mountain.
Due to their storage in a lectern and their advanced age, the tomes are decayed and severely damaged. This was seen when the tomes were first encountered at the end of the Fourth Age, when they partially crumbled as they were handled.
In the Fifth Age, recovery efforts by the Adepts of the Temple to Morounin have begun reconstructing and repairing the tomes. However, the process is incomplete and time consuming. Though portions of the tomes have become readable, even with the repairs, sections are missing or damaged beyond recovery.
The revealed language of the tomes is archaic. According to BIshop Rannyl Grimsunder, "the script is off" in the tomes, making comprehension difficult. However, it appears to contain information not written elsewhere in surviving documents from before the Great War.

Excerpt

"Four siphons and four keys, the elements shall now prevent the divine."
"Great Beasts forged to quell the elemental shall now be the guardians of the Severance."

- The Decayed Tomes

History

The Fourth Age: The Age of Shadow

In 4A 996, the Zenethian Heroes found passage above the Flower of the King to an abandoned and forgotten part of the city. Here, they discovered a dilapidated church containining a record of The History of the Third Age as well as two older tomes that were too decayed to be read.

The Fifth Age: The Age of Beginnings

The two tomes found by the Zenethian Heroes would later be gathered by Adepts of the Temple to Morounin, and they would begin the slow process of repair. The two books would become known as The Decayed Tomes.
On 15 Adroth 5A 352, Bishop Rannyl Grimsunder searched the Morounin archives. The Decayed Tomes provided some cryptic information about the Severance, the Severance Siphons, and the Severance Keys. He relayed this information to Gertrude Oathenhammer.

Type

Record, Historical

Myth

The Severance

Location

Severance Tear