Mal'eb'dala

The Book of the Shadows, or the Mal'eb'dala as it is written in the ancient Talfirian tongue, was an encyclopedia of sorts that detailed many mysteries forgotten since ancient times. Some entries described terrible creatures and abominations of magic, while others described swords of power or enchanted rings and the like. The author was unknown, but there may have been more than one author that contributed to the book.

The original was destroyed in a battle between two mages. Almost all copies were lost or ruined. One copy was in the library of Elversult, where it had laid for two centuries until it was stolen in 1361 DR by Tembris for Ravendas. Another copy was made by a loremaster of Oghma, Loremaster Erill, in a monastery in the Sunset Mountains. That copy was given to the wizard Morhion Gen'dahar in 1362 DR since then resided in his tower in Iriaebor.

A passage of the book described the rise of the Shadowking, and his defeat at the hands of the bard Talek Talembar. "Long ago, in a land east of the mountains and west of the sea, there dwelt a king named Verraketh, a ruler both feared and mighty… Skilled above all men was Verraketh in the art of sorcery, but such was the power of his dark magic that slowly it did consume him, flesh and soul. Verraketh was changed until he appeared as a man no longer, but rather a being most hideous, his maleficent heart filled only with darkness. Thus it was that Verraketh came to be called by a new name—the Shadowking.

For a long age did the Shadowking rule over his dusky realm, but ever he hungered for greater dominion. Many were the lands that fell… (blurred text) …so began the forging of the Nightstone. It was a gem wrought by the hand of the Shadowking from his own essence, but it was not beautiful to look upon. Rather it was dark and cold as death. With it the Shadowking meant to gain sway over the spirits of men and bring countless realms under his dire rule.

Yet when the Shadowking first took up the Nightstone in his hand to wield it, he discovered that he had been tricked. The mute troll that had worked the bellows of the Shadowking's forge cast off his disguise, revealing himself as the great bard named Talek Talembar.

In his rapture, the Shadowking had detected not the enchantment which Talembar had bound subtly within the Nightstone. The gem refused to obey its creator, but rather heeded only the power of the magical song which Talembar played upon his pipes.

For seven days and seven nights the Shadowking wrestled with Talek Talembar, the earth shook with the fury of the battle. But in the end victory belonged to Talembar. At the end of all things the great bard raised his pipes to his lips and played the shadow song, weaving its enchantment about the Shadowking and his dark creation, the Nightstone. The Shadowking bowed on bended knee to the bard who had defeated him. Then did Talembar bind his vanquished foe within a great crypt, and over the crypt he raised a cairn higher than a hill. And the power of the Nightstone was hidden away forevermore."

The cairn that Talembar raised was the Tor in Iriaebor.