Books, etc.
1) An enormous spellbook, containing only ONE spell (well over 1,000 pages). The spell is entitled "Modron-March"!
2) Secrets of the Worm - A dark & vile text of typical Ghoulish sort, with vile spells and high loss of Sanity. Slight evil aura.
3) De Vermis Mysterious - An older, Draconic version of the same text. It is even worse! Many papes appear to show the marks of tentacles. Strong evil aura.
4) Books of the Dead - In many, many volumes, this "book" purports to list every Ghoul ever added to the ranks since Imbindarla invented them... Of course, this includes only those added through ceremonies, not the more... normal... means!
5) Secrets of the Black Gate - All about what Kelharin was guarding, why, and what use it was/is to ghouls and Imbindarlians, in general!
6) R'lyeh Gazeteer - Maps to some island...
7) Astronomy for Ghouls - All about how to view the stars from underground (including spells), as well as tables for determining when they are "right" for various evil rites.
8) Deconstruction of the Mind - At first appears to be merely a text on the rotting of the Ghoulish brain, but later chapters reveal how to instruct carrion worms to gnaw, in order to release new powers. Oddly enough, Nolin will find many of the spells that he has developed, himself, contained within the latter chapters!!!
9) Reality Alteration - A treatise on the "Fearful St. Valendo" (with a drawing which shows it is Velendo, despite the misspelling), which discusses the powers of faith, and disbelief. Penned by the Ivory King's Chief Magus, itself. Apparently, "St. Valendo" was much-feared, and his powers a subject of great speculation...
10) Conjurations Insane - Yeah, just try casting one of these! Highly Chaotic aura.
11) Laments for the Lost - Imbindarla is there (among others), along with prophecies of her downfall, and what will occur after. It ends with the chilling couplet: "That is not dead which can eternal lie; And with strange aeons, even death may die!"
12) Strange Aeons - A very strange book about a futristic, scientific and technological earth, where the only magic is dark, ancient evil. It ends with "great Cthulhu" rising from R'lyeh, and destroying the world.
13) The Holy Bible - A poorly-preserved, unreadable work which will require Comprehend Languages to read (multiple castings). It is a collection of 66 books of some other earth, dealing with an Omniscient, Omnipotent God. It has been pretty much trashed, but is still readable.
14) WakoChat! - Written in an Oriental language, this mysterious work seems to be a fictional account of the exploits of an electronic cat who became a Wako. Surely, the world-spanning epic things contained within the covers of this book cannot be real!
15) When the Stars Are Wrong - All about how to raise R'lyeh above the waves, and open the doors to where "great Cthulhu" waits, dreaming! It is unclear whether this is intended for this world, or another.
16) When the Stars Are Right - Similar to the above, but with very different star maps!
17) To Serve Man - A cookbook. Three versions; one in Ghoul, one in Illithid, and another in an unknown, alien tongue.
18) The Evil Below the Waves - Aboleths, and such. This book mentions The Whisperer in Darkness (see below).
19) Liber NecroVermis - The infamous, and very evil "Book of DeadWorms"! Also in Draconic. All about the world-gnawing Dholes who inhabited this planet before those upstarts who dare to call themselves "gods" stole it from them. Includes much useful information for any Defender of Daybreak to have!
20) The Necronomicon - Naturally, this most evil of works has found its way here. Also in Draconic. Will drive any character of less than 12th level insane, should they try to read it (no save). Many vile, Sanity-blasting spells for the Conjuration/Summoning of foul entities contained. Also a few spells allowing one to steep themself in further evil, if desired. The Ivory King's favorite book, naturally... Strong evil aura.
21) The Tao of Tao - A seemingly random book of "Tactics", all of which seem to involve charging into combat... It will be useless, to most, but a studied few will be able to learn such Feats as Improved Bullrush, etc., from prolonged study of the text.
22) Theocides! - A text detailing all known ways to slay a god (and preventative measures, for many of them), along with tales of those who have tried.
23) Written in Stone: The Code of Malachite - A book about (Gulp!) everybody's favorite Paladin. Written from a fiendish point of view, the Author's name (if divined for) will turn out to be the name of a major Arcanodaemon. Naturally, the text is less than complimentary... and Mara hardly merits a mention! More disturbing, however is the depth of detail...
24) Secrets of the Abyss - A ghoulish book (literally!) detailing how best a ghoul can survive, down there. Very little of it is useful to the yet-living, but the geography might be useful...
25) Machiavellie Was Right! - A dog-eared text in an unknown tongue (English!). Obviously one of the more used books in the library.
26) Gray's Anatomy - A text in the same strange tongue as the above, but with LOTS of amazingly fine line drawings and clear, crisp calligraphy, showing various portions of Human anatomy and physiology. Anyone without Knowledge (Nature) who spends at least a month studying a translation thereof will receive a free Rank in the skill. Anyone already possessing the skill will increase their ranks by a certain (GM-decided) amount, up to the maximum of Level+3.
27) Accursed Instruments - A text in Infernal, all about evil musical instruments. None of them are in the Palace's Music Room, but the PCs don't need to know that!
28) Arcanuus Mysteriousse - Another Draconic text, with quotes in Abyssal, Infernal, Celestial, Auran, Undercommon, and Gnomesh, as the items covered demand. It gives a wealth of detail, carefully differentiating between legend and rumour, and observation and tested fact, with regards to the magic items listed, none of which are your standard DMG Junque... The GM can feel free to use this text to provide clues on any current or future gear collected as treasue (such as the bone rings common here). Might also increase Knowledge (Arcana), if it pleases you.
29) Secrets of Kurremkarmerruck - The title is in another alien language, and whatever secrets ol' Kurremkarmerruck had, he's keeping them! Even Comprehend Languages and Tongues fail to translate it! Wish and Miracle both get a "Not this time, buddy!". This is a riddle without solution... at least until Epic level, and a quest to find the old Wizard (Hint: Earthsea)!
30) Probability Panel Primer - An Illithid treatise for beginners, with some conjecture on Reality Alteration. Makes many references to that text on "St. Valendo" (with the same misspelling). Even has a fine drawing of one of his statues!
31) Reality Abjuration - Another Illithid text on changing reality, this one merely a series of case histories in chronological order. As you've already guessed, the last (and longest) chapter deals with "St. Valendo".
32) Fundamental Sub-Structure - A ridiculous treatise in an alien tongue on how all that is is made up out of itty-bitty strings! What rubbish! It even claims that energy, like fire, is string! Now, really! The string would burn!
33) String Theory - More of the same rubbish!
34) The Unified Field Theorem - A book purporting to hold all the secrets of the Universe. It is in an alien tongue, and non-understandable, even when translated. It seems to have a lot to do with Integrations and Disintegrations...
35) The Fundamental Nature of Reality - A Sanity-blasting book, written entirely in Celestial, and with a slightly Holy aura, if detected for. Reading it requires all three savings throws, with death as the result, if any one fails. Once the book is closed, the reader will be unable to recall what they have read, but will be moved towards good, and will sometimes find unique and inexplicable insights into the workings of the Universe.
36) Right is Wrong, and Wrong is Right! - A ghoulish philosophy book which attempts to demonstrate why life and light are not the way to go, and unlife and darkness are. The book appears brand new!
37) Proceedings of the 121rst Imbindarlian "Project Gaea-Smite" Oversight Committee - All about how the Imbindarlians planned, organized, executed, and recovered from the realignment of the stars, pulling the comet out of orbit, planns to free the worms, etc., etc., ad nauseum, in excrutiating detail! Names, dates, places, parts lists, supply rosters, who runs the cult in which part of the world, blah, blah, blah! The DoD's handbook on who to off, where to find'em, and who their underlings are, all in 27 non-handy volumes! The previous 120 Proceedings might also be of interest... Later volumes don't seem to be present. Maybe they're being scribed? Anyway, the Dod gets no mention, in this 27 volume set.
38) "Just a Scout, Ma'am!" - An ancient, if unused, Svirfneblin book, tucked away on the very bottom shelf, among the cobwebs and dust. It details the adventures of St. Aleax and his companions, from the diary of Pringle, their Deep Gnome Scout, one of the three survivors of the mission (the others being a Dwarf, and his mule, who turned back after the cave-in which killed St. Aleax's party). It details how Pringle, alone, went on to infiltrate the Ivory Kingdom and single-handedly stave them off by constant use of his stealth, finally making his way to the palace itself, where he lived out the remainder of his life, spying on the ghouls and defeating their plans from within the very palace itself! It ends with the ancient hero lamenting that he was old, and would die here, unknown, unmourned, and unremembered. Typical!
39) The Rejuvenation of Aleax - A ghoulish plot, in more ways than one! Get all the details, here!
40) So Now You're a Ghoul - A handbook for beginners.
41) Chants to Imbindarlia - A songbook.
42) The Book of Mormo - The ghouls may serve Imbindarlia, but Mormo is the god of the dead, and their lord. This book is all about him, and details how the robed priests of Mormo on the surface world, who take care of "funeral rites" in many cities, are really ghouls, with Human underlings!
43) Pictman's Works - A collection of his paintings (See Artwork, above).
44) Eternal Unlife! - With eternity to look forward to, what's a ghoul to do? This book offers some ideas, and also covers Vampires, Liches, etc. Trolls seem to get a lot of mention, in the Ghoulish sections!
45) Fun with Paralysis - A ghoulish "game" book... More Ick!
46) Prey Runs Away! - A hunting primer for new ghouls.
47) Abominations of the Aboleth - Some things even a ghoul won't tolerate!
48) Brain Custard - Another Illithid manual, of course. More Ick!
49) People I Have Loved... With Sauce! - Still yet another ghoulish cookbook, by a master gourmand... Nolin says you should try new things!
50) Smiling Without Lips - Essays by a ghoulish philosopher on aging as a ghoul, and the loss of brain function and body parts... Mega-Ick!
51) Green Is Mean! - A history of the Emerald Chalice, in extraordinary detail! This slender volume contains insights into ancient battles which everyone but the chapel has forgotten (Sir Sarratoga and the Graveyard of the Chapel in Blayne, for example), as well as things long forgotten even by the church! Shocking in its depth of brief coverage, citing undeniablly historical happenings, and secrets of the Emerald Chalice which even the Knights, themselves, no longer know! Such a find would rock the Secret Society beyond even its foundations! Why, the secrets of the Green Lantern's Light, alone...
52) The Whisperer in Darkness - An ancient, and inhumanly evil work with a strong evil aura. Its tongue is unknown, and unique. A DC:25 Will save is required to even attempt to read it, and once begun, it cannot be put down until finished (about a day of reading). Once completed, a DC:25 Fortitude save must succeed, or the reader goes insane, becoming comatose as they listen to the impossible secrets that the whisperer in darkness slowly reveals to them... Once comatose, even Heal will not cure the insanity, unless preceded by Silence, and even then, a method of blocking out the whispers on a more permanent basis must then be found!
53) The Necrotheoson - The Book of Dead Gods. A magical tome detailing dead godlets, what they had power over, how they passed... and what they're doing now! Imbindarlia is on the last three pages... This book has a slightly evil aura (more because there are more dead evil godlings than good ones), and a strong aura of Divination - nearly overwhelming - because it updates itself in real time! All of the godlets mentioned in Theocides![/I] are found herein.
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