Journal of Talis Nerethril

Entry 144:

I have uncovered something striking. It is common knowledge that following the signing of the Armistice, the lord of Khalaan chose to raze his chapel rather than allow the Empire to assert control over it. The resulting inferno was legendary, as was the death toll. There are many contemporary accounts of Dark Elves succumbing to the flames. But despite this, I have found no evidence of any victims ever appearing as an ancestor spirit. Indeed, the same is true of my own experience. I have dealt with many spirits who perished after Khalaan's destruction, and some who perished before, but none who fell alongside it. It seems exceedingly unlikely for this to be a coincidence. In order to investigate further, I must acquire the materials for an experiment.

Entry 145:

Mixed results. As planned, I constructed a Waiting Door underneath my manor. I took great care to use only substances and offerings that would be familiar to the spirits I am attempting to contact. After several hours of sustained meditation, however, I was unable to summon anyone who perished during the destruction of Khalaan. In fact, as I reached out further and allowed myself to commune more deeply, it felt as if I was encountering more and more resistance. I have never experienced anything like this before. Nor have I read anything like it in the literature. There is something very interesting at play here.

Entry 146:

They exist! While attempting another summoning, I became aware that the resistance I have been encountering is not uniform. I have taken to imagining it as a sheet draped at the edge of the physical world. While largely intact, it is threadbare in places -- not torn enough to bring a spirit through using normal methods, but still permeable. Through these 'holes', I was able to get a definite sense that there were spirits on the other side. The experience was not dissimiliar to rubbing against one of the barriers separating the Mundus and Oblivion, which provides an exciting new avenue of exploration. I will adapt the ritual accordingly. With luck, I will soon be the first to talk with one of these souls in centuries.

Entry 147:

Contact has been made, but the results are troubling. The updated ritual was only partially successful. While I had attempted to call just one spirit, I found that several answered me. Furthermore, it seems that their transport from this other plane harmed them in some way. They were deformed, agitated, and impossible to communicate with rationally. I was forced to dispel them quickly before they could do me harm. As such, I will not be attempting any more summonings until I am reasonably confident that the spirits will arrive intact. There is a silver lining, however. I believe that my findings can be adapted to create an improved version of the typical protective spell of summoning. The method is as follows:

[The remainder of this entry contains detailed instructions for casting Talis' version of the spell.]

Entry 148:

I am not entirely sure what I have found, and I do not believe it would be prudent to write of it in detail. Suffice it to say that not all of Khalaan's spirits seem to be fully trapped. I believe I have attracted unwanted attention.