Mysterious Book of the Damned

Type	Book
Discovered By	Lowly Toff
Discovery Date	24th August 2010
Discovery Location	Alaise, Atamara
Abilities	Prestige +1
Current Owner	Zouus Khan

The Book of the Damned is indeed a mystery. In the early days of Alaise when the land was a place of superstition and fear many followed old nameless gods. It was a lawless land ruled by a series of short lived despots with little actual authority. The people tended to take things into their own hands if they were wronged by another.

The idea of a book of the damned came from the idea of the local priests writing the names of those involved in wrong doing so that a list could be presented to their local lord. However, as this process was pointless as local lords did not last long and did little to nothing other than attempt to line their own pockets the names ended up being kept by the priests.

Great piles of paper and names were eventually gathered. The people thought they could use the names as a way to keep others from making the same mistakes. Elaborate rituals to the old gods were performed to bring down their wrath on the wrongdoers and make an example of them as the local lords would not.

For many years this only served to scare the young or foolish until one day everyone on one list miraculously died as a freak river flood destroyed one of the small hamlets that had grown up in the area. The flood also destroyed a temple, a blacksmiths and several acres of crops. But to the people it was a sign the gods were listening.

The book has been used several times since that time and on every occasion it has broght death in its wake. Its powers are not understood and capricious. It is as likely to kill those who weild it as it is to smite their enemies.

Not long after being recovered again, the book found it's why into the hands of Zouus Khan. After many mouths of studying the book for himself Zouus found that in the backest most part of the book were a number of runes and symbols he did not at first understand. After bringing it to a wise and learned Men named Dralos Khan, who was able to decipher a few of the runes.

Dralos asked to keep it for a number of days to which Zouus agreed. after a few more weeks Dralos contacted Zouus again and told him that the origin's of the rune's were in fact Arcane in nature, meaning each one held the power of a spell. so far only two have been properly deciphered, Dralos has already told Zouus they are beyond his abilities and that it would seem that for every person that the book kill's it stores in it self power for such spells.

However if the book lacks power, the wielder will need to pay in blood to cast even the most simplest of spells. Zouus thanks to his unique heritage is able to use some of the weaker lesser spells, but so far is unable to decipher any further arcane runes. But would not likely able to master them even if he could.

it is speculation that the meaning for the runes reveal themselves only to those who can wield them.