Books
Overview
The City of Heroes backstory is a rich tapestry of heroism and villainous plots. Many missions require the character to locate or research magical (and ordinary) books. This article represents an attempt to catalog all fictional books referenced in the City of... universe.
Abyssal Tome
(Archmage Tarixus' story arc, Forging the Blackwand)
This is an ancient book containing various dark rituals in various tongues. It tells how the borders of life and death were once manipulated to craft the legendary Blackwand. Though the wand is long lost, this book could presumably be used to create a new one.
As If By an Occult Hand
Secrets Behind the News
(Indigo's mission, Stop the Assassination of Dan Irish)
A book written by the reporter, Dan Irish, containing sensational revelations that the Knives of Artemis would prefer remain secret.
Astrology Book
This tome, penned in the early sixth century, insists that insight and understanding of the world can be found in the stars.
Blood and Ink
The Paragon Times and the Rise of Heroes
(Paragon Times)
A book by former Paragon Times editor-in-chief James Porter.
The newspaper and the building became one and the same. Like Statesman, it became the embodiment of the eternal struggle against injustice. The Paragon Times became no less important than any super-powered hero in the war against crime—they used awesome powers, we used the written word. Together, we helped to make Paragon City what it is today. That deserted, wounded building in Steel Canyon deserves a better fate. It would be a great injustice to let the building remain a shell of its former glory.
Blood Tome
See Codex of Bloodlines.
Book of Ancient Magic
(Cadao Kestrel's story arc, The Envoy of Shadows)
(Diviner Maros' mission, Get Book from Legacy)
This handwritten book contains descriptions, chants, and eldritch formulae for a number of dark magic rituals, including instructions on summoning the Envoy of Shadows. It has no listed author, but is dated 1592. An aura of malevolence clings to each page.
Book of K'Gar
(Police Radio mission, Retrieve the Book)
This is supposed to the holy text of an alien religion from the future, but no one's been able to decipher it. Legends say no one will be able to interpret it properly until the year 2260.
- Probably a reference to The Book of G'Kar from Babylon 5, which is set in 2260.
Book of Runes
(Skipper LeGrange's mission, Retrieve the Book)
A spellbook owned by the village of Salamanca. The villagers use its magic spells, including the Rune of Warding, to fend off the strange creatures invading the countryside.
Book of Stheno
(Matthew Burke's mission, Learn More About Stheno)
This ancient tome refers to Stheno, the sister of the Gorgon, Medusa. It seems she is the goddess worshipped by Mercy's Snakes. It speaks of a time when Stheno will return to spawn new and powerful progeny.
Book of T'Jer'imikanu
(Positron's task force, The Rule of Three)
This book, the last of its kind, was presumed lost in the Chicago fire of 1871. It is written in an obscure language, and describes a ritual for gaining great power that can only performed during a storm. Or, as the book has it, at 'a conflux of lightning and rain.' The larger the conflux, the more effective the ritual.
Chaos Cook Book
(Newspaper mission, Library Robbed, Rare Books Missing)
A rare, valuable magic book.
- Possibly a reference to the Anarchist's Cookbook, an infamous hacking instruction manual.
Codex of Bloodlines
(Magus Mu'Drakhan's story arc, The Secret of the Circle)
(Allison King's mission, Save the Wyatt Mediums from the Circle of Thorns)
Main Article: Codex of Bloodlines
Also known as the Blood Tome.
This magical book can trace a person's ancestry back to the time of the ancient civilization of Mu. Any name written in its owner's blood blossoms out a crimson family tree on the book's black pages, in the arcane language of the Circle of Thorns. When you hold it, you get the unsettling feeling that your blood longs to pour itself out across the pages.
Codex Oranbegan
The Luddites in Cap au Diable apparently have a copy of this. It contains a story of Father Gerard Henri casting a demon into a volcano.
Crafting the Dagger of Jocus
(Midnighter Club clue, Rularuu Library)
Written by Pontice Doub, this book sits on the Rularuu shelf in the Midnighter Club library.
Crystal Codex
It is said the Crystal Codex was written in the language of the gods. Indeed, the shards seem capable of trapping immense power within them.
The Death and Rebirth of Numina
(Midnighter Club clue, The Death and Rebirth of Numina)
by Tommy & Tammy Arcanus
The commie was standing at the center of the earth, ready to blow us all to pieces. The Red Threat got it in that loony mind of his that if he could explode, so should everything else. Me, Tammy, the Monolith, and some of the other Midnighters were there to stop him. If it wasn't for the protective spells I cast, we'd have died days ago. As it was, things were hotter than a new car in Jersey.
The Threat was crazy! I'm sure it was from the Crimson Dust those so-called doctors fed him back in Siberia. I could see it in his eyes. Tammy must have seen it, too, because she was on him before I could even think my first spell. That girl is twice as fast as me and ten times fiercer than her mother. She hit him with a possession spell and wasted no time flipping that guy's light switch to a permanent 'off'. The only problem was, his body was like one big chemical reaction. It didn't need no brain to continue along its course. He was still going to blow!
My first thought was that we was all gonna die. But my second thought was just a little bit worse: only I was going to die. I knew of a deflection spell that would allow me to absorb most of the explosion and save the earth, but it would probably kill yours truly in the process. Spells aren't normally designed to kill their casters, but the Threat's explosions were so strong that there was no other way it would play out for me. As I said, this was my second thought, but it was Tammy's first.
She told me she loved me and cast the spell just as Boris blew. That's the last thing I remember. When I woke up, we were all back on the surface... well, almost all. The Red Threat was there, but there was no Tammy. Her body was gone. The Threat was still a vegetable, but I noticed something about his eyes, they'd changed. They were violet; the same color as Tammy's.
The Monolith said it first, but I already knew it to be true. Tammy was in the Russian's body, even if she couldn't say or do anything to let us know. She was there. I will find a way to get her out of there. They tell me they're going to move her to a new prison they're building in Brickstown. They're going to keep her there until I can bring her out of that body.
I'm not worried. I know I can think of something. And if I can think of it, well, Tammy will think of it twice as fast.
Demonlogica
It is well known within the mystic community that the author of this book lost his mind just after completing it.
Devil in the Deep
Lake Monsters throughout History
(Paragon Times)
By Skipper LeGrange, this book details many legendary aquatic monsters, including British Columbia’s Ogopogo, Lake Champlain’s Champ, Oklahoma’s “Killer” Octopus, and Lake Superior's Pressie.
Diary of Tyoss
(Cadao Kestrel's mission, Protect the Oranbegan artifacts from the Circle of Thorns)
The exhibit tag calls this clay tablet "The Diary of Tyoss". A roughly translated excerpt reads:
"We have behaved as animals do, brutally, savagely, without mercy. I have wept for those who die by our crimes, but have not stayed my hand. I wonder: in saving our lives, have we destroyed everything we once were?"
A Discourse in Realities
(Midnighter Club clue, Rularuu Library)
Written by Faathim the Kind, this book sits on the Rularuu shelf in the Midnighter Club library.
Elemental Manual
Tomes like these are commonly found among the Legacy Chain. They contain a mishmash of spells and diary entries dating centuries back.
Hammer of the World
Incantations from the Abyss
A book about the infamous Malleus Mundi by Dr. Nathaniel A. Bierce, Professor of Esoteric Anthropology at Winthrop University.
History of Oranbega
The War of the Mu
(Cadao Kestrel's story arc, The Envoy of Shadows)
This is a hand-written, multi-volume work by the ancient wizard, Akarist. Each book chronicles a different aspect of a great war between the ancient peoples of Oranbega and another lost civilization called the Mu. The books start with the creation stories and mythic founding of Oranbega by refugees whose god led them across the sea in great ships, after they had been exiled from their homeland for practicing magic; and proceed up to the war.
The last volume Akarist was working on has only reached the first few days of the conflict, where Mu Skyships rained a magical fire down upon the outlying Oranbegan cities. From the detailed descriptions, it seems as if Akarist himself was an eyewitness.
- Two volumes of this work have their own entries:
Hequat and the Mu
(Magus Mu'Drakhan's story arc, A Traitorous History)
- This serves as a preface to the first book of the history of the Mu/Oranbegan war.
Though we did not know of them until the War, the Mu had been our sworn enemy for hundreds of years. Within a fortress-island forged of iron and fear they had been trained to hate us and to fight against us for generations. Their Goddess demanded it, and they obeyed her in all ways. They believed that their chosen place upon this world was to serve as the righteous implement of her will, and in their deeds and customs did they enshrine this so that to do otherwise would be unthinkable. At her command they performed generations of what would now be called eugenic breeding in order to strengthen the magical power within their blood lines to unheard of levels. At her command they crushed all contrary thought, and made no art that did not praise her name. At her command they attacked our peaceful Oranbega on a spring day, sewing ruin on our city and bringing war to us after it had become forgotten in our lands. The name of this Goddess was Hequat.
Hequat was in our myths as well, for it was her followers who had hounded us from our lands and drove our forbears into the sea. In our myths she was the former lover of Ermeeth, the god who taught our people the magic he had learned from fabled Tielekku. Hequat was also Ermeeth's greatest foe, and it was from her armies we had fled under one sea and across another to the land we would call Oranbega. We had thought Ermeeth and Hequat both legends until her soldiers came one fateful spring to burn our world away.
Hequat hated Oranbega then, and would hate that which we have become even more. However, it must be remembered that her hatred stemmed from our refusal to bow down to the gods in all things, as she thought it was proper for mortals. That aspect may bode ill for the peoples and cultures of this modern era.
Cost of Mercy
(Magus Mu'Drakhan's story arc, A Traitorous History)
- This serves as a preface to the last book of the history of the war.
When our people were pressed by the Mu, we took drastic measures. First we sank our city beneath the earth to shelter us from bombardment by Mu sky ships. Then, when we found we still were sorely pressed, we turned to other powers from darker worlds. A Prince of Demons came to us and offered us his aid. The Circle of Thorns, the ruling council of Oranbega, debated greatly, but in the end we bargained with him.
His first gift to use was the Thorn Blades, demon swords that turned men into blood-frenzied monsters. Armed with these we turned the tide, and the slaughter was indescribable.
The wizards of Mu found new tactics, however, and blunted our attack. Again we struck bargains with the Prince of Demons, and we brought forth troops to fight on our behalf from the depths of Hell. With wraiths and spectres did we march upon the Mu. With Behemoths of the land and Leviathans of the sea did we fall upon their men, their city, their very land. The fiends had bargained for the slaughter of every last man, child, and woman of Mu, and on that fine point we faltered. We still felt mercy for them, pity even, and we saw in them what might have become of us. We let some Mu escape to far shores. When the fiends discovered this, they were both outraged and gleeful, for they had hoped for just such an outcome. In the end we had to sacrifice our mortal forms, and were only able to escape the wrath of the fiends as bodiless spirits in our sunken city. Such was the cost we paid for our mercy.
How I Beat the Devil with a Dream
and Other Adventures
(Midnighter Club clue, Rularuu Library)
Written by The Dream Doctor, this book sits on the Rularuu shelf in the Midnighter Club library.
How to Serve Man
(Newspaper mission, Library Robbed, Rare Books Missing)
A rare, valuable magic book.
- Possibly a reference to a short story by Damon Knight and a Twilight Zone episode.
Journal of Padre Henri
(Mr. Bocor's story arc, The Book and the Burning)
This old handwritten book is the personal journal of Padre Henri, a jesuit priest who came to the Rogue Isles hundreds of years ago. There are lots of notes about the land and people he met there, and then the entries start to become strange, talking about a great battle on the mountain and sealing a demon away. One thing that sticks out to you is that the first few entries start right after Padre Henri left Egypt after getting some clue about the island from a mysterious source there.
In addition to being a valuable historical resource, the book is also enchanted. It makes the possessor more... pliable to those who know the right kinds of magics.
English Translation
(Virgil Tarikoss' strike force, The Beast Beneath the Mountain)
This book is a translation of the Journal of Father Gerard Henri, a French monk and reputed master of mystic powers who worked for the French government in the 17th century. According to entries in the Journal, Henri came to the Rogue Isles in response to tales of a demon-worshipping cult called the Children of Enos. He arrived to find both the Cultists and the Garrison sent to fight them wiped out. There are pages missing, but what's left talks at great lengths about the preparations Henri and his cohorts went through to face something the Cultists had summoned from the depths of the netherworld in their desperation. Something Henri felt was too powerful for him to destroy, but could be contained within the mountain. Something called Bat'Zul.
Journals of the Lost
(Angus McQueen's story arc, Division: Line)
You found this handwritten journal along with several others, all written by Lost who were soon to undergo the transformation into full Rikti. This one details how he was recruited into the Restructurists, and his thoughts on the factions. you find the following passage near the end:
'The Traditionalists want more of us converts because they want to grow their ranks. The soldiers outnumber them by a lot. They'll educate you and find a good job for you, but you'll never be a 'real' Rikti as far as they're concerned. They're a sentimental favorite among a lot of the Rikti I've talked to. They don't have a lot of real power, though, because there aren't that many of them. Maybe one in ten.'
'The Restructurists, though, they have the power. If you do well in battle, they won't care if you were a human before. You can become anything. That's the path for me. I don't care what happens to the world. I want to be on the winning side.'
Nen'Kulf's Journal
You found this handwritten journal along with several others, all written by Lost who were soon to undergo the transformation into full Rikti. This one was written by none other than Nen'Kulf, the Lost convert who had given you C'Kelkah's location in an attempt to undermine the Traditionalists. There is some detail about how members of the Lost earn their conversion to Rikti, as well as descriptions of the strange changes to body and mind the process entails. The last line of the last entry sticks out to you:
"Regret:Betray Angus. Action:Necessary. Will become:Rikti. Wish that:he could understand. I will be so much more soon."
The Leviathan and Ancient Knowledge
(Vincent Ross's mission There's Always a Catch)
This book is found in an underwater cavern inhabited by the Coralax. It details what the Coralax know about the relationship between Blood Coral and the creature called the Leviathan.
'The Blood Coral, when fully gathered, will allow one to step into the mind of the Leviathan, where they may have the rare chance to reap the knowledge that the Leviathan has. Many of our fellow Shapers seek to spread out the Blood Coral, hoping the humans do not find it. This is a grave mistake. We must bring the Blood Coral together to speak with the Leviathan, to discover the fate of our goddess, Merulina, and to find a way to obtain the same power that the Leviathan possesses! Then, we will no longer need to rely on the slumbering beast, as we will all have the key to gaining the same power. The only thing we must be wary of is guarding ourselves against the Leviathan. It is rumored that those who try to gain the Leviathan's knowledge can be consumed and absorbed by its sheer power. We believe the rumored 'Midnight Squad' may hold the secrets to protect ourselves from this.'
' The Red Coral from the Leviathan can spread our numbers. The Blood Coral, however, is a fool's errand. As their own shards, they do well to increase the user's power. Together, however, they will not control the Leviathan, as many in the past believe. The Leviathan is far too powerful of a creature to be controlled by any method.'
Lost Holy Text
(Phillipa Meraux's mission, Investigate the Cave Where the Lost May Be Storing the Stolen Technology)
You found this book in the Rikti base. Written by hand, it describes a utopian society in which physical labor is unnecessary, in which each member's needs are provided for in full. You can imagine the downtrodden Lost pouring over this manuscript in wonder, longing to belong to such a world.
Lost Tongues of the Tower Makers
(Miriam Bloechl or Laura Brunetti's story arc, The Scroll of Tielekku)
Compiled by Greek scholars, this book is a guide to the ancient languages of a lost civilization that built a tower to the stars.
Malleus Mundi
(Scirocco's story arc, The Hammer of the World)
Main Article: Malleus Mundi
Malleus Mundi (Hammer of the World) is an Akkadian text. The tome was rumored to belong to various occult teachers and mystics throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, but the last owner of the Malleus Mundi was thought to have been none other than Baron Zoria's one-time mentor, Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin. Though there is some doubt as to whether they had ever actually met. Some resources indicate that the Circle of Thorns tracked down the text in early 2004 in the Lubyanka Museum’s special archive in Moscow. It was the capture of this same archive that was said to have been one of the objectives of Germany’s Operation Barbarossa during World War II. In fact, a secret unit of the German army, the Spezialwaffen Kommandotruppen, composed of members of the occult-based Thule Society, was created specifically for this purpose. The archive, however, had been temporarily shipped to Siberia for safekeeping in the first weeks of the invasion.
The Many Faces of Rularuu
(Midnighter Club clue, Rularuu Library)
Written by Wylie Galloway, this book sits on the Rularuu shelf in the Midnighter Club library.
Memoirs of Pontice Doub
(Midnighter Club clue, Memoirs of Pontice Doub)
The book in the upper left hand corner glows softly. As you move closer to it, without even touching it, words begin to unfold in your mind.
You learn of the life of the Midnight Club's founder Pontice Doub. This book is his personal memoir. His tone and words begin elegantly enough, but as they progress they inexorably devolve into fingernail scratched pages of blood and spittle. The last legible entry, December 1944, reads:
My dearest Midnight,
Soon I fear I shall take her carriage. The carriage just for you and I.
The things I have lost, the things I have given up or traded away have left me hollow, nothing more than a husk on the current.
The others do not see the darkness as I do. I pray that I have done enough to make sure they never have to.
- Pontice
Midnighter Club Register
(Midnighter Club clue, Midnighter Club Register)
This old green book appears to be a register cataloging the date when every Midnighter joined the club and when they either resigned or died. It dates all the way back to the 1920s and includes such names as:
Pontice Doub, The Dream Doctor, Ross Coldwell, Wylie Galloway, John Knox, Bentley Berkeley, Tommy Arcanus, The Monolith, Alistair McKnight, Hinkley Rasmussen, Edgar Torvald, Tammy Arcanus, Montague Castanella, Nathan Crane, Percy Winkley, Kadabra Kill, Sigil, Ashley McKnight
As you read towards the end of the log, a number of the deceased dates correspond with the day of the Rikti's first invasion. The number of deaths is astounding. However, on the last page you see the numbers of the new members has gone up substantially. The final name at the bottom is yours.
Mu Codex
(Matthew Burke's mission, Steal Book from Ghost Widow)
A valuable magic book owned by Ghost Widow.
Nectanebo's Book
A relic that increases the power of ToHit buffs.
Nen'Kulf's Journal
(Angus McQueen's story arc, Division: Line)
You found this handwritten journal along with several others, all written by Lost who were soon to undergo the transformation into full Rikti. This one was written by none other than Nen'Kulf, the Lost convert who had given you C'Kelkah's location in an attempt to undermine the Traditionalists. There is some detail about how members of the Lost earn their conversion to Rikti, as well as descriptions of the strange changes to body and mind the process entails. The last line of the last entry sticks out to you:
"Regret:Betray Angus. Action:Necessary. Will become:Rikti. Wish that:he could understand. I will be so much more soon."
Obsidian Libram
(Miriam Bloechl or Laura Brunetti's story arc, The Scroll of Tielekku)
Long whispered of in magical circles, the Obsidian Libram is connected with many wild rumors. Some say it is the written soul of a demon. Others insist it is a testament engraved by intelligent saurians during the age of reptiles. Some even whisper that it is a gateway to another plane of being. No one knows the truth, for this book of black stone plates seems to present different faces to different readers.
Of Calystix and Sacrifice
(Diviner Maros' story arc, The Cult of the Shaper)
Calystix the Shaper, also called Calystix the Zealot. The first records of a priest called Calystix date from ancient Rome, where a Legion discovered an ancient temple to a Cult of the Shaper. This cult was led by a high priest called Calystix, who ordered the townspeople to slay the Legion. The soldiers were nearly overcome, but they won and put the temple and the town to the torch for their abhorrent practices. Later records of a Cult of the Shaper led by Calystix re-occur in the middle ages, and again during the Enlightenment. The last known occurrence of the Cult was in a small Massachusetts fishing village in the 1920s, though it's unknown if it was lead by a priest called Calystix, as the cult was destroyed by the American Navy for crimes of piracy and cannibalism.
Perhaps most disturbing is that recently discovered records of the ancient civilization of the Mu also speak of a 'Calystix the Shaper'. These records from 14,000 years ago tell of another race who lived on the island of Mu before it was raised from the sea, and talk of a priest of these sea-people called Calystix, who sought to unleash a great leviathan to devour the Mu. The legends say that the leviathan was entombed beneath the Island by the Mu Goddess Hequat, but that Calystix escaped into the sea.
Of the First Ones
(Miriam Bloechl or Laura Brunetti's story arc, The Scroll of Tielekku)
These ancient myths and legends tell of the first beings in the world, the gods who existed before mankind.
Of the Great Tower
(Technician Naylor's mission, Get the Items Naylor Needs From the Circle and the Nemesis Army)
Despite the book's title, it seems to be all about how the Circle makes their portals. It's written in their own language, but copiously illustrated. On further perusal, it looks like the book isn't so much about portals in general, but that it's summing up how certain aspects of portal creation pertain to a much larger project.
On Sacrifyces
Their Uses and Their Various Consequences
(Mage-Killer Zuhkara's mission, Get the Books)
A Circle of Thorns book about summoning demons.
On the Dissolution of Psyches
(Calvin Scott's task force, A Mind in Danger)
This tome explains how one can destroy a target's mind by attacking psychic connections they may have with others.
On the Human Mind
Unlocking its Secrets
(Timothy Raymond's story arc, Strange Memories)
The incantation in this tome can restore lost memories.
The One Book of Rularuu
This book is said to contain the essence of the timelines that have been, are and could be. Each letter is beyond the comprehension of all but Rularuu. Nonetheless, the tiniest fragment bestows power to those who possess it. The One Book gives a 20% reduction to debt incurred by all Supergroup members at all times.
The Real Faultline
(Doc Delilah's sourvenir, The Real Faultline - by Dr. D. Stein)
This book was written by Doctor Delilah Stein, the Heroine Historian, and published recently to much talk in the media. The book tells the true and sad story of a Hero who was destroyed in the cruelest way possible, and of how his real history finally came to light. It's the story of a Hero named Faultline and what really happened to him.
Red Dust Tome
(Miriam Bloechl or Laura Brunetti's story arc, The Scroll of Tielekku)
These swirling crimson sands are enchanted to form themselves into a book at their owner's will. The Red Dust Tome contains such bizarre knowledge that it can unhinge the thoughts of anyone without extraordinary willpower.
Rikti Factions, Vol 1
(Serpent Drummer's story arc, Dreams of Peace and Acts of War)
This book is an explanation of how the Rikti have become divided since their time on Earth. While there's a great deal of information covered in the book, a series of bookmarks and highlightings help you pick out the important information:
Ever since the end of the First Rikti War, the Rikti on Earth appear to have suffered through disagreements about how best to proceed. These disagreements grew until the Rikti on Earth began to factionalize into two groups: the Traditionalists and the Restructurists.
The Traditionalists believed that wherever they were, they should maintain the norms of Rikti society, with its slow decisions reached through psychic debate and group consensus. The majority of the Traditionalists were from the minority of scientists and engineers who had accompanied the invasion force and had been trapped when the portals were sealed.
The Restructurists felt that the old paradigms wouldn't work in their current situation and were open to creating new ones, centered around the military majority of the invading force. They quickly became focused on advancement through military accomplishment and swelled their ranks with converted humans.
The Traditionalists were terrified of these changes as they saw their society turned upside-down and becoming a military dictatorship. In an attempt to blunt the power of the Restructurists, they've even begun talking to humanity about ending the war. The Restructurists need the continued war to justify their changes, and are unlikely to accept any peace.
It is conjectured that on the Rikti Homeworld, the military is a small minority of Rikti population, and that the Rikti civilian government could have far more power. But, in the war on Earth, the Rikti military and the Restructurists are all anyone knows.
Rites of the Dark
(Colleen Nelson's story arc, A Path Into Darkness)
You found copies of this book on several of the Council soldiers you defeated before they left the country. Each slender volume contains rituals, pledges, and ceremonies used in initiation to something called 'The Path of the Dark.'
The Rulu-shin
The Zealot Followers of Rularuu
(Midnighter Club clue, Rularuu Library)
Written by Darrin Wade, this book sits on the Rularuu shelf in the Midnighter Club library.
Saga of Faathim
(Justin Augustine's task force, The Saga of Faathim)
This tale is carved on monoliths scattered throughout the Shadow Shard. It seems to be written in a pidgin of Earth languages, described as "like trying to read Sumerian written with Aztec grammar and English slang," and "like Sanskrit, only backwards and written in a phonetic alphabet," with bits of Greek and Cuneiform thrown in for good measure. Translated and in its proper order it reads:
First Verse
And give your strong to Ruladak that he may work them.
And give your injuries to Faathim that he may heal them.
And give your outcast to Lanaru that he may execute them.
For you will know that they are Rularuu and are to be obeyed.
Verse of Denial
And Faathim formed the Chantry from the very air.
And Faathim alone was master of it.
And within the Chantry Faathim stood shielded from Rularuu's will.
Here Faathim schemed for his freedom and his oblivion.
Verse of Shame
And by word and trickery the Traitor Faathim's work was done.
And the Mad One rose up with rage to split the world asunder.
And the Rularuu lost their truth and the People their master.
For Faathim's betrayal hid all from Rularuu's power.
Verse of Guilt
And when the world was split the Strong one Remained Loyal.
And the Strong one called Faathim Traitor for his plans.
And the Strong one called Faathim Traitor for his actions.
For Strength would let none stray from the Rularuu.
Verse of Sorrow
And Kindness and Strength shook the the world with battle.
And by clever stratagem Strength was caught and bound.
And Kindness was was trapped as well within it's fortress.
While Madness burned with rage and battled all.
Verse of Pain
And the Kind One was made prisoner within his Chantry.
And the Rularuu beset him in unending siege.
And Faathim the Kind knew only anguish.
For all his plans were cast down in ruin.
Verse of Regret
And Kindness knew there would be freedom.
And Kindness knew that Rularuu could not be overthrown.
And Kindness knew there would be no defiant haven of its hopes.
For now Kindness knew it would forever be of Rularuu.
Saga of Lanaru
(Faathim the Kind's task force, The Saga of Lanaru)
This tale is engraven upon monuments around the Storm Palace. The ancient script shifts before the reader's eyes to an understandable language. It reads:
Verse of Anger
And he rose up into the air,
And there he forged himself a great palace,
And the air itself he charged with storms,
For Lanaru's mind was itself clouded with anger.
Verse of Hatred
And Lanaru felt Rularuu's purpose wander,
And Lanaru felt the anger in him grow,
And Lanaru would not forgive his resurrection,
For slavery to Rularuu was no life to him.
Verse of Fury
And Lanaru toiled in slavery to his master,
And as executioner he did work his rage,
And every day his mind broke further,
For pride would not let him stay a slave.
Verse of Torment
The hatred roiled through his fevered thoughts,
And madness broke his mind upon its wrack,
And Lanaru felt Rularuu retreat from him,
For it feared the growing insanity of his soul.
Verse of Madness
And Lanaru stoked the fires of his madness,
And in his madness he found greater power,
And he cast down the Iron Fist of Rularuu in battle,
For reason was only a shadow in Lanaru's mind.
Verse of Malice
And then Kindness entered the Storm Palace to give warning,
And Kindness said that Rularuu would re-assert control,
And Kindness retreated then in horror,
For now Lanaru saw method to halt their master.
Verse of Destruction
And Lanaru rose again into the air,
And Lanaru broke the world in his madness,
And Rularuu raged with powerless anger,
For Lanaru would gain might with each failed attack.
Scroll of Bokol
(Police Radio mission, Get the Scroll)
This scroll was penned by those who believe that life here began 'out there', in the depths of space. It talks about the lost colonies of humanity that are supposed to live among the stars.
- This is an ingame reference to Battlestar Galactica; Bokol is referring to the planet/lords/colonies of Kobol.
Scroll of the Spirit Dragon
(Cho Ge or Warren Trudeau's mission, Recover the Scroll of the Spirit Dragon)
The Scroll of the Spirit Dragon is an ancient scroll that was written in the blood of a powerful dragon. Anyone in possession of the scroll is granted knowledge of that dragon.
This scroll was the possession of Flamebreak, a hero who died in the Rikti War.
Scroll of Tielekku
(Miriam Bloechl or Laura Brunetti's story arc, The Scroll of Tielekku)
(Diviner Maros' mission, Steal Scroll of Tielekku)
Main Article: Scroll of Tielekku
The Scroll of Tielekku is an ancient papyrus scroll with the image of the goddess Tielekku seated on a throne of gold surrounded with pictograms. It tells the story of a prehistoric war between two pantheons of gods, a great alliance of man’s first gods and a coalition of twisted gods who fed on death. It goes on to tell how the goddess Tielekku first harnessed the power of magic, taught it to other gods and mortals, and used her power to trick and defeated the evil pantheon, banishing them to the spirit world. The scroll gives instructions for contacting Tielekku herself should the pantheon she banished ever return to trouble the living world. Finally, it warns that this knowledge should never fall into the Banished Pantheon's hands, for they could use it to trap Tielekku and devour her.
Shadow Life and Other Oddities
(Midnighter Club clue, Rularuu Library)
Written by Montague Castanella, this book sits on the Rularuu shelf in the Midnighter Club library.
Sisterhood of the Huntress
(Indigo's mission, Find the people kidnapped by the Knives of Artemis)
This book illustrates rites and rituals for mystical ceremonies associated with a secret society called 'The Sisterhood of the Huntress.' A cursory examination shows elements of moon worship, ritualized hunting of human beings, and violent human sacrifices. Though the book is filled with hateful screeds against all men and any woman who is not a member of the Sisterhood, you can see evidence it was probably twisted from the dogma of a once gentler fertility cult.
Spells of the First Order
(Miriam Bloechl or Laura Brunetti's story arc, The Scroll of Tielekku)
This tattered vellum folio from 1602 is rumored to be an original translation of the first spells ever taught to mankind by the gods.
Spirit Guide
Even death could not stop the scholar Randall from completing his great work. This essential mystic resource lists every spirit type, from the Spectral Pirates from Cap au Diable to the ghosts that haunt Croatoa.
Story of Ruladak
(Sara Moore's task force, The Legend of Ruladak)
This handwritten journal is filled by page upon page of densely-cramped writing. Part-way between a journal, a survival guide, and story book, it talks a great deal about living and surviving in the Shadow Shard.
The first entries in the book start with talk of a great cataclysm, when 'The Mad One broke the world'. It speaks next about the short golden age that followed, when 'The Kind One' traveled the lands, promising the survivors that salvation was close at hand, and that their oaths to Rularuu were no more. No mention is made of what the oaths to Rularuu were.
The next set of events deal with the appearance of Ruladak the Strong. Ruladak is called the Brother to Kindness and Brother to Madness, and is called the 'Iron Fist of Rularuu'. The book describes battles between Ruladak, the 'Mad One', and the 'Kind One'. Finally, it details how the Kind One sealed Ruladak away with 4 mystic seals.
Tolshak Mysteries
(Hardcase's story arc, Sold For a Song)
This ancient and musty-smelling tome is filled with occult ciphers that would take years for the uninitiated to interpret. According to Karvost the Mystic, it unlocks key secrets of demonology.
Tome of Great Binding
(Justine Augustine's task force, The Saga of Faathim)
This well-illustrated book is written in the native language of Oranbega, and its margins are covered in notes. Even without the language, you can tell from the diagrams and symbols that it provides an overview on how one could bind beings of incredible power, and use their vast might as a source of mystic energy. Though from what you can tell the book itself is rather abstract, the hand-written notes on each page contain numerous sketches of The Chantry, it's layout, the surrounding zone, and even Faathim the Kind.
Tome of Hequat
(Newspaper mission, Tome of Hequat Stolen!)
This is an old leatherbound book about and in reverence to Hequat. It contains numerous spells and incantations, but none that seem to serve your nefarious purpose.
Tome of Persephone
(Unai Kemen's story arc, To Save a Thousand Worlds)
Persephone lived her life half in sunlight, half in shadow. Her tome contains many rituals dealing with the union of two disparate objects or beings. This book was destroyed long ago according to our history, but another dimension still has an existing copy.
Tome of Telos
(Olivia Chung, Dr. Ann-Marie Engles, Pavel Garnier, or Juliana Nehring's mission, Recover the Tome from the Vhazilok)
Also known as the Tome of Bion, Hermes, Ignis, or Phobos.
This tome is dedicated to the ancient god Telos. It describes various powerful ceremonies, including a ritual to restore lost beauty. It is written in an alphabet that you have never seen before.
Tome of Tormvodel
(Ghost Widow's story arc, Life and Death)
This ancient tome, stolen from Oranbega, should provide the clues Ghost Widow needs to restore her mortal form.
- "Tormvodel" is an anagram of "Voldemort" from the Harry Potter books.
Tomes on the Sicilian Stone
(Midnighter Club clue, Tomes on the Sicilian Stone)
These heavy volumes chronicle the history of the Sicilian Stone, its uses, and its dangers.
Crafting of the Stone
The first book seems to detail the crafting of the stone and the setting in which it was placed. It's a large ruby pendant with an unusual setting shaped like a long-fingered golden hand. The fingertips are said to 'caress' the deep crimson of the stone, in a gesture that is at once haunting and evocative.
Lineage of the Stone
The second book details the lineage of the stone: who owned it, how they acquired it, what if anything significant they did with the stone, and, finally, how it killed them. This is the largest of the three tomes. The most notable is a woman by the name of Madeleine Casey who, surprisingly, is still alive today.
Afterlife of Nathan Crane
This book looks much more recent than the other two. It tells the story of one Nathan Crane's journey after his death at the hands of the Carnival of Shadows.
Treatise of Martin Henri
The Luddites never go long without extolling the virtues of Martin Henri's treatise on the evils of modern technology.
The Truth
(Dark Watcher's story arc, The Horror of War)
Many people died over the contents of this book. The well-written volume lays out in comprehensive detail the terrible truth of the Rikti War and its origins as the merciless machinations of none other than Nemesis, the so-called 'Prussian Prince of Automatons'. The author chose not to use her name with good reason. Of the many people named in the book who were instrumental in uncovering the truth, you're one of the few who are still alive.
Why I Left and Why You Must Stay
(Midnighter Club clue, Why I Left and Why You Must Stay)
Hopefully, when you read this, my name is not forgotten. I don't know why that's so important to me. I guess after all I've seen, a part of me is still human. I wonder if the same can be said for my counterpart, Rularuu.
As I used the blade, I shaved off a piece of myself. I am not the same man anymore. I still work among you - looking for answers. But I've also begun searching in the dreamspace for a way to protect you, and the rest of the world, from a fate that grows closer with each passing day. Something is coming and I must find out what it is before it's too late.
I have never been afraid to ask for help. If you remember anything about me, please remember that. But this...this is something I must do on my own. I'm going to try and save the world... again. But by all means, don't let that stop you from trying to save it first.
Working History of the Path of Dark
(Midnighter Club clue, Working History of the Path of Dark)
This book appears to be a collection of clippings and hand-written notes detailing a group or a process called the Path of the Dark.
The account laid down here belonged to an un-named Roman imperial guardsman who had been assigned to guard the last Emperor of the Roman Empire, Romulus Augustus. One section details the deposed Emperor's attempt to contact a supernatural power:
I asked my Emperor, now that we have the power of Cimerora and we have beaten back Imperious, what he would have of us. We had done so much in so little time - the giant colossi alone...
...but Emperor Romulus raised his hand to silence me. Me! I felt the rage within me rise. If not for Dorjan stepping forward with a hand raised in peace, I do not know what I would have done. Dorjan explained that his family had arrived to aid this new empire and that the Emperor had bid him to take us to these new friends. We were to meet with them and our future would be made clear.
Dorjan did as the Emperor bid him, and led us down to meet these friends in darkness. We followed Dorjan deep underground through dark caverns until we found worked stone and great halls. Then there were movements in the shadows, and we all felt surrounded by spirits. A man came forth and welcomed Dorjan as a brother. He welcomed the Emperor to the halls of the Path of the Dark, and bid us enter. Then I saw that this man was not a man, nor were any of those who watched from the shadowed halls. I looked to Dorjan for guidance, as we had fought together and stood side by side. But now I saw that Dorjan was shifting form into a shape that was not his own.
I saw things moving in towards us. The Emporer exhorted them. Fear overcame me.
Through the darkness, I ran.
Worn Tome
(David Wincott's mission, Invade the Outcasts' Hideouts)
A worn and moldy tome from an Outcasts' hideout. The strange, rusty red text appears to be Russian.
Zeitspielraumexperimente
(Ashwin Lannister or Laurie Pennington's story arc, Ubelmann the Unknown)
This book, written in German in the last days of World War II, appears to be about early time travel experiments. One section has been highlighted heavily, and notes are scribbled along the margin in English. The notes are about the abysmal failure rates of the program, and about the test subjects used in the experiments. The identity of the last test subject jumps off the page at you: an intelligence officer named Wolfgang Ubelmann.
