TYSTARII

The Tystarii were twelve grails sent by Tysterius to his maarda upon their descent to Malavar. Their purpose was to replenish the life and appearance of the maarda through supernatural gemstones so that they could defend Anim from Vulker for as long as they were needed. The Valikori worked greatly through the Tystarii, however, and many wars were fought over them, for they were the prize of all mortal life. Finally, Ankor recalled them after the War of Reclamation's end and all but two were returned to Excelum, as Hecivel, the most powerful of the maarda, and Malakor, Vulker's greatest servant, kept theirs. After many centuries, they met their demise and the last Tystarii were kept hidden in a crypt for the remainder of history.

DESCRIPTION
The 12 Tystarii were Miz'daak, Vayadrus, Maiavar, Ba'goroth, Odyrin, Valenor, Ta'koroth, Ok'dalf, Ka'tora, Astoron, Ibinor, and Ar'gohk. They were each uniquely adorned with gems, from which they drew their power; Miz'daak with a garnet, Vayadrus with an amethyst, Maiavar with a bloodstone, Ba'goroth with a diamond, Odyrin with an emerald, Valenor with a pearl, Ta'koroth with a ruby, Ok'dalf with a peridot, Ka'tora with a sapphire, Astoron with an opal, Ibinor with a topaz, and Ar'gohk with a turquoise.

The Tystarii were more finely crafted than anything on Anim, for Tysterius had employed the hand of Darvhelm in their making. The two kept their designs a guarded secret, so that not even Vulker was capable of replicating them. To distinguish the Tystarii from any other grail, Tysterius planted within their gems a soft light so that they glistened in the dark. From them also emitted a certain sound that was pleasing to the ear.

FUNCTION
If a maarda or ovta were to drink water from any source out of a Tystar, their life and physical forms would immediately be restored comparable to that of a 30-year old man's. They would be set free from any disease, injury, or effects of aging, though they remained vulnerable to death. Thus, the Tystarii did not grant invincibility or even immortality, but simply replenished one's soul and strength. In this way, through a repeated and cyclical use of the sacred grails, one could cheat death and live in pristine comfort for all his days.

When the Tystarii were re-fashioned, being essentially reduced to their unique gemstones, they functioned slightly differently; the gemstones would have to be dipped into water of any source. Drinking this water would then initiate the restoration of both life and vigor.

The Crafting of the Tystarii
When Vulker and his evil servants conquered the lands of Moduun, it became apparent to the Nalori that his victory was likely. To prevent his triumph, Tysterius sent down his numerous Amandiri to Yevernin as mortal beings to defend the free peoples from the dark lord. They came as maarda, taking the form of males and females and possessing bodies akin to that of both humans and elves.

The maarda, though everlasting in spirit, were mortal beings on earth, being numbered to 200 years. Thus, Tysterius sought to provide them means of everlasting life and vigor so they might defeat Vulker. He went to Darvhelm, who was the foremost craftsman of the Nalori and together, they fashioned 12 grails of magnificent beauty and power. Tysterius then sent them to the mortal plain, where they were recovered by the maarda.

In order to prevent an imbalance of life on Anim, Ankor forbade the ovta from keeping the Tystarii for themselves, decreeing His word through an oracle. Thus, possession of a Tystar was outlawed in every nation on Yevernin.

Snagak's Theft of Miz'daak and Ba'goroth
The maarda kept the Tystarii safe in their realm, hidden from the eyes of any other race. But when corruption inflicted them from within, their secret was exposed. Vulmar, tempted by the Valikori to join forces with Vulker and calling himself Snagak, rose up to destroy the maarda but was defeated by Hecivel. In one final act of villainy, Snagak took two Tystarii, Miz'daak and Ba'goroth, and came into the service of Vulker. It was through this that the dark lord's fallen Amandiri learned of the Tystarii and its power. Miz'daak was kept in Thangorim and Ba'goroth was kept in Kothorak, both mighty fortresses within the borders of Yandirim. From these two grails, Vulker's Amandiri found life and strength to fight for many years.

The Taking of Miz'daak and Ba'goroth
During the War of Fury, an elf of the Kingdom of Luthryn named Feranduil fervently assaulted the realm of Yandirim. For a month, he and his army conducted a massive siege on Thangorim, the home of Malakor. Though the fallen Amandir was powerful, his defenses were eventually overwhelmed and the fortress fell. He fled without his Tystar, retreating deeper into Yandirim. As the elves plundered Thangorim's treasuries, Feranduil discovered Miz'daak hidden away. Though it was forbidden for an ovta to possess a Tystar, the elven hero fell under its spell and began to desire long life. Thus, he took it and hid it away in his home discreetly.

Some years later, Eventar of Lindevell, on a personal quest to avenge his father, attacked Kothorak and devoted all of its inhabitants to the sword. He then took Ba'goroth from within the fortress and delivered it to King Firgon of Galarad. Firgon, who was just, kept Ba'goroth in his most secure vault within the capital city of Altara. Unlike Feranduil, Eventar resisted the temptation of keeping the Tystar for himself and went on to defeat Vulker in single combat, banishing him to the void of Inanum.

Desperate and in fear, the dark lord's Amandiri scoured Hal'hamoth in search for Altara, for without the Tystarii, they were doomed to die. Eventually, the fearsome warrior Angalok discovered the hidden city of Altara

Hecivel and Malakor's Deception
Feranduil's Taking of Miz'daak
 * Feranduil steals Miz'daak from Thangorim
 * It is taken from Feranduil by King Firgon the Just, since possessing a Tystar is illegal
 * Eventar takes Ba'goroth and defeats Vulker in single-combat
 * After Vulker's defeat, Malakor launches his own invasion (particularly of Galarad) to reclaim Miz'daak and Ba'goroth
 * Malakor also fights with Luminara over her Tystar, but she humiliates him
 * After Angalok retrieved the two Tystarii from King Firgon, Malakor waged smaller-scale wars to take more Tystarii from the maarda
 * King Ondayyar, an oah'kai, wages a war with Neldor over an alleged Tystar
 * Ruvynn takes a Tystar and discovers its true properties: the magic comes solely from the gems; he then forges their gems into beautiful ingots
 * Malakor and Ruvynn begin fighting for the remaining Tystarii for their own motives
 * Tyronvir the Great drives out Vulker from the north and takes Ba'goroth
 * After the War of Reclamation, Ankor commands the earthly Amandiri to destroy their Tystarii
 * Hecivel disobeys and keeps his Tystar, as does Malakor, who flees Yevernin after the War of Reclamation with his Tystar and a band of ornoks, trolls, and giants
 * Centuries later, a certain hero eventually defeats Hecivel, takes his Tystar from him, and destroys it
 * Desparate, Hecivel feigns a noble quest with a few unsuspecting followers to infiltrate Malakor's realm in Askorun and take his Tystar from him
 * The quest is successful and Malakor loses his Tystar; for 198 years, he searched for the Tystar
 * When he learns of its location (and with two years to live), he invades Eldorim to reclaim it
 * The hero's descendant, who would become one of Anim's greatest men, hides and defends the Tystar from Malakor
 * Malakor is defeated when he perished just before reclaiming his beloved Tystar