Gelarith

Gelarith was an ancient elven spirit residing within the haunted elven fortress known as The Hand of Sehanine. Unlike the majority of the tower’s inhabitants, who are trapped in mindless, repeating loops of their final moments due to a divine curse, Gelarith is one of the few souls who retains his lucidity and sanity.

Role in the Hand of Sehanine

In life, Gelarith was a dedicated librarian and scholar. In death, he continues his duties as the custodian of The Thumb, one of the fortress’s five radiating finger towers. The Thumb tower serves as the Common Hall and Scriptorium, and it houses the sacred Moonwell. Gelarith dedicates his spectral existence to keeping his people’s stories safe, even as the world forgets them.

Because he and his fellow ghost-scribes are entirely incorporeal, they are physically incapable of organizing the Scriptorium. As a result, the tower’s vast archives have fallen into complete disarray, leaving the spirits in a state of tragic stagnation.

The Unwritten Chapters

To restore order to the Scriptorium, Gelarith recruits mortal visitors to assist him in completing a series of physical tasks collectively known as “The Unwritten Chapters”:

  1. Restore the Tomes: Return six heavy, scattered books to their correct runic order.
  2. Finish the Tale of Sisters: Complete the half-scripted historical account titled “Sisters of the Moon: Agatha & Vyldara”.
  3. Recover Lost Lore: Retrieve the lost historical tale “Dawn Over the Hand” from behind a collapsed stone archway.

Successfully assisting Gelarith eases the unrest of the ghost-scribes, lowers the Madness DC of the final battle against the Baelnorn Archmage Larellion by two points, and triggers a secret bookcase to swing open, revealing a hidden passage to the Index tower (The Library of Shadows). Furthermore, it grants visitors a temporary attunement allowing them to cast Legend Lore or gain advantage on research-type checks within the fortress.

Campaign Resolution

During their journey to lift the millennium-old curse of the Hand, the adventuring party assisted Gelarith in sorting the Scriptorium. This act of quiet compassion helped break the cycle of misery binding the spirits of the Hand, ultimately leading to Larellion’s repentance and the final release of the fortress’s trapped souls.