From: cc697@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Eric Oppen)
Subject: WFRP: From Drachenfels' Library: Forbidden Books in WFRP
Date: Wed May 10 00:29:31 CDT 1995

In the Old World, there are many forbidden cults, and all of them have holy
books.  Simetimes it seems like a person can't really call himself the High
Priest of a Proscribed Cult without writing a big thick book all about it. 
Herewith a few sample books that PCs may stumble across.

Claws of Darkness Khaine Cult:

_De Tenebris Mysteriis_ (On the Secrets of Darkness)

This tome was originally written several centuries ago.  It was first seen
in the _Classical_ language, but can be found in translated versions.  A
small print-run of 300 in Reikspiel was confiscated in Altdorf some years
ago, allowing the priesthood of Sigmar an unparalleled opportunity to study
this work.  Most Sigmarite temples have copies from this run in their
restricted libraries.  It is roughly 250 pages long, and most copies found
have been hand-copied.  A standard penance for low-ranking clerics of
Khaine is to copy out, by hand, a certain number of pages from this book. 
This provides a useful penance, as well as new copies to spread the word
with.

It is divided into several sections.  One of the sections is an account of
the history of the gods, written from a Khainite point of view.  Khaine is
sen as an unjustly-persecuted hero, and the other licit gods as usurpers of
his prerogatives.

Then comes a section on poisons.  Reading this and making an Int roll and
spending 100 xp will give a person _Prepare Poisons_ skill, and rereading
it, making another Int roll and spending another 100 xp will give a
character information on how to acquire the _Immunity to Poisons_ skill.

The next section is on the undead.  It gives a basic introduction to the
_Necromantic_ arcane language, and provides enough information for a
character reading it, with a successful Int roll and expenditure of 100 xp,
to acquire the _Identify Undead_ skill.  There are also theoretical
discussions of Necromancy, and practical hints for the aspiring
Necromancer, including ways and means to disguise the ravages of his
terrible researches.  There are several cures for Tomb Rot at the end of
this section.

The final part is poetry, written in honour of Khaine by one of his
greatest High Priests before entering the vampire state, as described in my
earlier post on the _Dunkelklaue_.  Reading and understanding this poetry
will give any character not of chaotic or evil alignment 1 Insanity point
if a save vs. Cool is not made.  Whether the save is made or not, having
read this poetry and expended 100 xp will give a character the _Theology_
skill, at least as relates to the worship of Khaine.  This poetry is so
blasphemous and evil that any priest or devout worshipper of Morr will have
to make a Cool test to avoid an overwhelming urge to burn the book.

Possession of this book will attract a great deal of unwanted attention to
PCs unless they have a _very_ good excuse.  If the authorities find that
they have it, they may well be considered to be guilty ipso facto of
membership in the Claws of Darkness.  Meanwhile, the Claws themselves feel
that the secrets in this book are NOT for the uninitiated.


Tzeentch Cult of the Purple Hand:
_Geheime Lehren den Purpuren Hand_ (Secret Doctrines of the Purple Hand)

First written by a Magister Magistrorum (Highest Priest) of the Purple Hand
in Kislev, this book is currently only known in its Reikspiel version.  The
Kislevite version is long-lost, having burned in an anti-Chaos purge by the
former Tsar Iossif Vissarionivich Dzhugashvili.  When Tsar Iossif was
overthrown, the book appeared in the Empire.

The book is about 100 pages long, written in a convoluted, affected style,
not unlike this post.  Even those literate in Reikspiel require an Int roll
to fully understand it.  The book, when found, has always been bound in
leather made from the skin of one of the friendly races: gnomish, dwarven,
halfling, human or elvish.  Part of the ritual of consecrating this volume
requires that the consecrating copyist to sacrifice his or her dearest
friend outside the Purple Hand cult and bind the book in that friend's
tanned skin, having done the skinning and tanning while the friend still
lived and knew what had been done to him or her.  All known copies are
handwritten; part of the initiation of a Magister of this cult is to write
out, in a prescribed time, his or her own copy.  While this is going on,
distractions of various natures are introduced just to keep things
interesting.  Failure in this task has penalties unknown outside the cult
itself, but one can assume that they are indescribably foul and hideous.  

Much of the book is Purple Hand theology.  Reading and understanding it
will, upon payment of 100 xps, give a character the _Theology_ skill, as
relates to the Purple Hand, and a 75% chance of understanding theologies of
other Tzeentch-worshipping cults, such as the Writhers in Darkness.
Although this book is mainly associated with the Purple Hand, other
Tzeentch-worshippers have used it.

There is another section on the nature, summoning and control of Daemons. 
The ingredients for all first- and second-level Daemonologist spells are
listed, along with directions that are clearly comprehensible to any
Wizard, Wizard's Apprentice, Alchemist or specialist Wizard, on how to
summon Daemons.  There is a list of Daemons' names, by which they may be
controlled.  Any Daemon encountered while in possession of this book may be
mollified by handing it oveer; no Daemon likes to think of itself in
thraldom to mere mortals, and returning to its own plane with the means to
do so confiscated from mortals will gain the Daemon status with its
fellows.

The rest of the book is a collection of the sagas of the great incursion of
Chaos, the one that took the city of Praag.  Reading and understanding this
part may give a military-background character insight into the methods of
warfare used by the armies of Chaos.  Any character reading this section
and failing a WP test will gain one insanity point.  Templars, in
particular, may find theinformation on the nature, thought (?) and methods
of Chaos Warriors worth the undeniable risks of perusing this foul, unclean
tome.

As with the other books on this list, unauthorized possession of this book
is forbidden, and considered to be proof of membership in a proscribed
cult.


Slaanesh Cults (Various)
_Grimoire of Pleasure_

This book is better known as the _Proscribed Grimoire of Slaanesh_
(mentioned in "Red Thirst," in the anthology of the same name) and its
possession is formally forbidden everywhere in the civilized parts of the
Old World, outside of the city of Moussillon.  Even there, it is quite rare
to find anybody who will openly admit ownership of a copy.

As far as is known, this book was originally written by a High Priestess of
Slaanesh in Bretonnia (surprise, surprise!)  about 1890 IE.  There exist
translations into many languages, but the most common version is in
Bretonnian, running to about 75 pages.  Many versions are illustrated; the
version illustrated by the perverse woodcuts of the insanely-talented Khuff
is considered a masterpiece of the printer's art, even by those who would
burn the book immediately.

The book itself is surprisingly well-written and carefully thought out. 
The worshippers of Slaanesh are not normally known for their intellectual
prowess, but when dealing with their main interest, they are capable of
incredible feats of intellect.

Much of the book is taken up with precise detailed instructions on
seduction.  A character reading this part, making an INt roll and spending
100 points may gain the _Seduction_ skill; if the character already has the
skill, chances of success in a given attempt will double.  The instructions
include a great deal of information on the psychology and thought-processes
of all intelligent races; this makes the book valuable even to those not in
search of good chat-up lines.  Reading this section with the idea of
learning more about psychology, along with the expenditure of 100 xp, will
effectively increase a character's chances by 10% in all negotiation or
other situations where people are being dealt with by the character.

Another part of the book gives clear instructions on avoiding
contraception.  The cults of Taal and Rhya regard this information with
horror, calling it blasphemy against their deities.  The other faiths of
the Old World are at worst, neutral towards it.

"Cleaned up" versions of this book, with all traces of Slaaneshi theology
censored out, enjoy a brisk sale among the more decadent students, nobility
and nobs of the Old World.  Copies sell for 150 gp on up, depending on the
language, quality of printing, and quality of illustrations, if any.  This
trade is forbidden, not because of the erotic content of the book as such,
but because it offers a perfect opening for clandestine Slaaneshi
missionaries to work.  Offering someone a "better" copy of the _Grimoire of
Pleassure_ is an excellent way to inviegle themselves with their
prospective converts.  Most Courtesans' Guilds own copies of the "cleaned
up" version, and require that their members study the book and pass
examinations in it, before promoting them within the guild.  The original
book itself is severely proscribed; being found in possession without a
_really_ good story will win the owners a free trip to the nearest gallows,
and a prominent high position.


Khorne Cults:
_Der Blutbuch_ (the Book of Blood)

Unlike some of the other Chaos cults, the followers of Khorne are rather
rare within the Impire.  Their single-minded devotion to slaughter for its
own sweet sake, along with their utter disdain for the subtlety favoured by
Khaine's worshippers, make them easy to track down.  For this reason, the
only known copy of this book came from Castle Drachenfels, after Prince
Oswald von Tassenick and his heroic companions overcame the Great Enchanter
(cf. _Drachenfels_ by Jack Yeovil).

Written in rather archaic Reikspiel, the book is bound in brown leather
dyed the exact colour of dried blood.  On the cover, the symbol of Khorne
is worked into the leather in gold.  The individual pages are heavily
water-marked with endlessly-repeated symbols of Khorne, and the spine has
the same symbol tooled into the leather over and over again.  There is no
name given to the book; the name used for it comes from the cover and the
subject matter.

The book is a long paean to Khorne, and to the joy of slaughter,
destruction and bloodshed.  Those who have had the privilege of studying
the original, which is kept under heavy lock and key at the temple of
Sigmar in Altdorf, say that the poetic descriptions of the Chaos Wastes and
the endless battles between the Chaos Powers' servants have great power,
but were obviously written by someone far gone into Chaos, if indeed they
were even written by someone who had ever been one of the friendly races.

The story describes the rise of a humble servant of Khorne to the full
status of a Champion of Chaos.  The descriptions of the Servant's first
kill, where he stands in the blood of the teacher who had abused and
mistreated him, screaming out his dedication of this kill to the Blood God,
are written with incredible intensity.  Taking to the woods, the Servant
(he is given no other name; even as a Chaos Champion, he prefers only to be
called a simple servant of Khorne) gathers a retinue of Beastmen and
mutants, by killing the strongest of them in combat and dedicating their
souls to the Blood God.  Once the gifts of Khorne, including the Chaos
Armour, are given, the Servant is able to kill for Khorne in earnest. 
After endless slaughter all across the Old World, and deep into the Chaos
Wastes, the Servant is finally given the ultimate gift, and becomes a
Bloodletter of Khorne.

One school of commentary identifies the Servant with a Halfling, of all
people.  Since the Servant is described as being as enthusiastic about good
food and regular mealtimes as he is about killing, and given the known
existence of at least one Halfling-born Champion of Khorne (born Tubbi
Haarfuus in Marienburg) the identification is not implausible.

Reading this book and making an Int roll, along with the expenditure of 100
xp, will give a character the _Theology_ skill as relates to
Khorne-worshippers.  Possession of this book will make a character a hunted
man, targeted by both Khorne-worshippers and the authorities.


Horned Rat cults:
_Der Kauer auf der Weltwurzelen_ (The Gnawer at the Roots of the World)

This book was allegedly translated from Queekish into the _Classical_
secret language by Constant Drachenfels himself.The Skaven contacted the
Great Enchanter, and got his agreement to do this by agreeing to provide
him with their assistance in one of their horrid schemes.  They themselves
are not skilled enough in human languages and ways of thinking to
translate well from their own tongue into ours.  Despite these stories, the
only known copies of this book are all in modern languages.  A copy, in
estalian, is in the library of the cult of Myrmidia in Magritta.  After the
overthrow of the evil, vampiric Tsarina Kattrin of Kislev, a copy in
Kislevite was found among her effects.  Several copies in Tilean are known
to be in the hands of variouis orders of Templars in Mirigliano and
neighbouring regions; given its location, Mirigliano is more plagued by
Horned Rat cultists than other cities.  Copies in Reikspiel are to be found
in the libraries of the temples of Sigmar in Altdorf and Ulric in
Middenheim.

The book is invariably covered with tanned human skin, with the symbol of
the Horned Rat tattooed into it.  It is several hundred pages long, and
written in a strange, repititive style reminiscent of the way the Skaven
speak-speak.  This characteristic style persists in all known versions, and
may well be characteristic of Skaven thought processes and inescapable in
Skaven writings.

The original author purports to be one of the Thirteen Lords of Decay.  It
describes the Skaven entry into the Known World, and their taking of the
city that became Skavenblight.  This book is the only known account of that
city's infestation and loss to the Skaven.

Much of the book is Skaven mythology and eschatoogy, with a description of
what the Skaven believe to be their origins, their creation by the Horned
Rat, who consecrated them as his own chosen race to rule all time and
space.  The great heroes of the Skaven race, the original Lords of Decay,
led their people through the tunnels of the Dwarves and Gnomes, driving out
the "abominations in the sight of the Horned One" to make the tunnels
useful to the ultimate plans of the Horned Rat.  The passages describing
the fall of the city that became Skavenblight give unparalleled  insight
into Skaven thought-processes, so-called.  Failing a Cool roll upon reading
this will gain a character 1d6 Insanity Points.

Other things found in this book are precise directions for the creation of
Rat-Ogres from Skaven stock, poems in praise of the Horned Rat, recipes for
poisons, and short biographies of all the Lords of Decay.  There are also a
great many facts about warpstone that would definitely interest any wizard
or sage working with the horrid stuff; including data on the precise rate
of mutation-acquisition by prisoners exposed to its awful radiation.

Horned Rat cultists will pay almost any price for a copy of this book; the
authorities will pay large rewards for the denunciation of any person with
it who lacks a _good_ explanation.


Nurgle Cults:
_Pestbuch_ (The Book of Plague)

This book, of over a thousand pages, is considered extremely valuable by
the Physicians' Guilds, who are always lobbying to be allowed to study the
few copies known to be in existence.  It gives extremely precise, correct
information on how to bring about plagues and pestilences, by that same
token, it gives many hints on how plague and sickness may be prevented. 
For obvious reasons, the Hurgle cultists are not pleased by the interest
shown in this holy book by the Physicians; any Physician known to have
studied a copy is marked for death by a special sect of Nurgle-worshipping
assassins, known as the _Todschlager der Pesteherr_ (Deathblows of the
Plague Lord) whose sole duty is to prevent nonbelievers from learning how
diseases are caused and especially how they may be prevented.

This book is very carefully organized, with a comprehensive index.  Written
in Reikspiel, it gives the precise origins and causes of every disease
known in the Empire, with directions as to how to bring it to full hideous
flower against selected targets.  There is very little Nurgle theology in
this book; this is a handbook for biological warfare in a low-technology
society, not a hymnbook or book of poetry in praise of the Lord of Plague.

The book also contains explicit descriptions and directions for dealing
with Beasts of Nurgle (cf. _The Oldenhaller Contract_, WFRP main rulebook)
and all the better-known Daemons of Nurgle.  There are even biographies of
the greatest Champions of Nurgle.  Reading this will give a character with
background in Daemonology, such as a former Daemonologist or cleric whose
religion allows the use of Daemonological spells, great insight into the
nature of Daemons of Nurgle, and warrior characters will find themselves
better able to understand the behavior to be expected of Champions of
Nurgle.  

Two copies of this book were taken from Drachenfels' castle after the
defeat of the Great Enchanter by von Tassenick.  The annotations, in the
hand of Constant Drachenfels himself, have so far defied translation; they
are in Cathayan or Nipponese, and there are very few Scholars, or even
dwarven Loremasters, with sufficient erudition to know for sure whether an
annotation is in one language or the other, and the translation would vary
according to which language is used.  Other copies are known to exist in
the libraries of large temples of Shallya; the followers of the goddess of
healing and mercy are naturally quite interested in how diseases may be
prevented.

Characters possessing this book will find Guilds of Physicians bidding for
it; however, this will reach the ears of Nurgle's followers, and the
assassins will be on the trail.  The authorities will not necessarily take
possession of this book as proof of Nurgle-worhip, but the book will be
confiscated and "taken for study," meaning locked up forever.


Malal Cults:

The Doomed Ones, as the followers of Malal are called, live entirely to
destroy other Chaos cultists.  Theyfeel that the blod of other gods'
followers, daemons and priests makes the perfect sacrifice to  Malal. 
Hence, their authorship of the following work:

_Handbuch der Verbotene Kulten den Alten Welt_ (Handbook of Forbidden Cults
in the Old World)

Written originally in Estalian, this book is first attested to in the time
of Magnus the Pious.  At that time, a copy was captured from some
malal-cultists in Estalia by allies of Magnus who were on their way to the
city of Zaragoz for a diplomatic mission.  Infomation taken from this book
greatly aided Magnus in rooting out the Chaos cultists from the Empire. 
There are rumours that the followers of Malal deliberately let the book
fall into the hands of Magnus; after all, though they feel that the blood
of other Chaos gods' followers pleases their god, it doesn't follow that
_they_ necessarily have to shed it!  That's dangerous!  This copy is
carefully preserved in Altdorf, and copies of it have been placed in the
restricted-access stacks of temple libraries all across the Known World.

The book also exists in a Norscan translation, rather corrupted, and in
Reikspiel and Kislevite. Any unknown editions, particularly those
incorporating new information, would be of interest to any temple, order of
Templars, or Witch-Hunters.

The Estalian edition is handwritten, and runs to about two hundred pages. 
It gives extremely objective descriptions of the activities of the
worshippers of all the Proscribed Gods save Malal, as well as explanations
of the theological differences and rivalries between, say, the Purple Hand
and Writhers in Darkness cults of Tzeentch, or the Jade Sceptre and other
Slaaneshi cults.  Any character reading this will gain 10% on his or her
chance to spot Chaos cultists, and a critical success will not only give
the reader the knowledge of the cultist's beliefs, but which particular
cult he or she belongs to.

As may be imagined, Templars and Witch-Hunters find this work utterly
fascinating.  Chaos cultists, when they find that a copy is in the
possession of anybody against whom they feel they have a chance, will sink
their differences and rivalries to launch an all-out attack against its
possessors.  The mere existence of this book is a threat to the existence
of every harmless, necessary :}  Chaos cultist alive!

The known copies of this book are all heavily guarded; PCs will normally
NOT be allowed access!  After all, they COULD be cultists themselves, or
dupes of cultists!  Chaos is cunning, m'lud!

This book is one of Chaos' most insidious triumphs; merely by existing, it
promotes Chaos by spreading it among the very foes of Chaos.