After fighting in several battles against these undead hordes, a black book fell into the hands of Lorthalas after he, alongside three priests of Yaegar, defeated an arch-lich of considerable power. Lorthalas believed that study of the Grimoire and understanding how the spells were weaved that wrought such destruction, could be reversed to negate them. In his studies, he found one incomplete spell for an artifact of immense power. Lorthalas foolishly believed himself, the prodigy of the elven magi, capable of alternating the spell so that it would benefit the peoples of the world. And so he created an arsenal of arcane artifacts of destruction, thinking the forces of the Nameless and Virigoth could be laid to waste. After finishing and testing his prototype, he began to duplicate the artifact many times, building up an arsenal. Lorthalas then went to his king, and presented his answer to tides of darkness. King Silandrel withdrew with his councilors, and debated the brash plan for many days.
After the conclave was concluded, King Silandrel told Lorthalas the risk was too great, and had the arsenal confiscated and buried deep beneath Greginshem, so no one would possess weapons of such destruction. During the debate, and subsequent excavations,the Orkin horde had advanced within sight of the city and quickly surrounded it. The armies clashed in bloody battle. Eventually King Silandrel and Breigar, the Orkin Cheiftan met in single combat. Breigar beheaded King Silandrel, but the elf managed to land a lethal thrust before his head was severed.
Meanwhile in the valleys north of Rheydin, the construction of Sharazade was being waylaid by the indigenous goblin tribes. Scrun, a hobgoblin of extraordinary size and cruelty, rose to lead the goblin tribes. The elven army was leaderless with the death of King Silandrel, with the King's marshal left in charge of the fledgling city's defense. Scrun had gathered every goblin of fighting age under his banner, so that nearly the entire goblin nation stood arrayed against the meager expeditionary forces of themselves at the half-finished palisades, the elven women and children, injured and old, had gathered in the only completed building, the temple of Yaegar. Lorthalas saw the death of his people and wept. Confident in his plan, he took his prototype, Sharazade. The fighting lasted for ten days, the goblins throwing and unleashed the arcane power when the goblins made a final mass push at the beleaguered defenders. The carnage that ensued was unlike anything seen by a mortal hand. The goblin horde was eradicated, along with all of the elven defenders along the ramparts and in the open.
Lorthalas, shocked at what he had done, slipped to his knee, numb at the loss of life. The High Guardian, along with a few surviving members of the royal guard, took him captive with ease. After a brief trial, Lorthalas and his stolen Grimoir were locked inside a magical maze, stored inside a box, and sent to the newly built tower of savants for safekeeping. Centuries past and the box remained in safe-keeping until the intervention of a golem...