Taren
Original campaign-world reference. Sections describing the supplied Day 17 instance record that playthrough only; possibilities remain possibilities.
Role: Person tied to an earlier effort to conceal Edren's history and the ancient network. World lore: The creation helper says Taren is normally dead before current play. This is a standard setup, not a rule that fixes every instance's timing or cause. Taren is Mara Venn's sibling; this does not establish that she knows everything Taren knew.
Day 17 instance: The continuum mentions Taren in connection with Merrick Vale and an old secret, but does not say how Taren died, when it happened, or what Taren personally knew. Confirm instance records before declaring Taren dead in that playthrough; do not fill the gap from the generic setup.
Sources: creation helper, Vale/Taren/Mara/Calder; campaign continuum, important NPCs; campaign continuum, open threads.