Lorien Thalorin

Lorien Thalorin is a half-elf arcanist and planar scholar whose research into the Tarrasque, the greatest spawn of the god Rovagug, resulted in the destruction of the kingdom of Vandekar. Once a respected academic prodigy, Lorien became mystically bound to the Tarrasque during a failed containment ritual and now exists as a living metaphysical anchor restraining a fragment of the creature’s power.  

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HISTORY

Early Life

Lorien Thalorin was born in the arcane city of Aelyndor within the kingdom of Vandekar. The son of a human noble and an elven scholar, he demonstrated exceptional intellectual ability from an early age. Educated at the Vandekari Institute of Grand Thaumaturgy, Lorien specialized in planar theory, arcane binding, and the study of legendary creatures.   During his early career, Lorien developed a controversial belief that even the most destructive beings in existence followed immutable metaphysical laws. He argued that such entities could be understood and constrained if those laws were properly identified.  

Research into the Tarrasque

Lorien’s research increasingly focused on the Tarrasque, a colossal spawn of Rovagug believed by most scholars to be either myth or a dormant remnant of a forgotten age. Lorien rejected this view, theorizing instead that the Tarrasque represented a cosmic constant bound to the structure of reality itself. He believed its regenerative immortality was not purely biological, but a metaphysical function tied to Rovagug’s imprisonment.   His writings proposed that the Tarrasque’s presence acted as a stabilizing pressure, a destructive force constrained only by ancient seals and planar laws.  

The Cyclopean Ruins

Beneath Castle Vandekar, Lorien uncovered Cyclopean ruins predating human settlement. The inscriptions described a "Sleeper bound in hunger," sealed not to protect the world from destruction, but to prevent reality from unraveling under its weight.   These ruins marked a weakened point in Rovagug’s prison where a terrestrial manifestation of the Tarrasque had once been anchored by the Cyclopes through layered planar bindings.  

The Fall of Vandekar

With the approval of King Althric IV, Lorien led an expedition to reactivate and study the ancient bindings. During the ritual, the containment matrix collapsed. Although the Tarrasque did not fully manifest, its presence surged through the rupture, devastating Vandekar.   The capital city of Erelis was destroyed within hours, mountains fractured, and vast regions were rendered uninhabitable. The event closely matched historical accounts of previous Tarrasque rampages recorded in ancient sources.  

The Riftwalker Curse

The failed ritual bound Lorien to the Tarrasque’s essence, transforming him into a living anchor restraining part of the creature’s power. The binding was incomplete and unstable.   When Lorien experiences intense emotional stress, pain, or rage, manifestations of the Tarrasque’s influence emerge, including rapid regeneration, seismic disturbances, and partial physical transformations. Lorien does not control the Tarrasque, nor is he possessed by it. Instead, he functions as an unwilling seal, maintaining the integrity of the ancient bindings.  

Exile

Following the destruction of Vandekar, Lorien was blamed by survivors and condemned by arcane institutions across the Inner Sea region. Declared a heretic and an existential threat, he fled into exile.   Over several decades, Lorien traveled through Cheliax, Absalom, Osirion, the Shackles, and the Mwangi Expanse. Reports from these regions describe localized disasters coinciding with his presence, reinforcing his reputation as a living calamity.  

Current Status

Lorien Thalorin is believed to reside on a remote island shrouded in persistent fog somewhere in the Inner Sea. Sailors report tremors, unnatural tides, and vanished vessels near the island. Scholars, cultists of Rovagug, and military powers have all expressed interest in locating him, either to exploit the binding, destroy it, or release the Tarrasque entirely.   Lorien himself is said to believe that his unprepared death would allow the Tarrasque to awaken fully once more.