Demon Scale Book
As an apprentice scholar of the Imperial Libraries I found the book in an abandoned basement storage. None knew of it's origins or what it contained. It is a wondrous thing: Eteched bronze depicting the various speaking species, including ones unknown to the Empire, wrapped over wooden covers. The pages are all of the ancient hard material known as Demon Scale sawed to size, drilled for binding and carved in lettering alien to the Empire and it's dominions. The pages are cool, firm and somehow greasy or slick to the touch. Time does not touch it and neither inks, mold nor other stains stick to it.
I spent many years trying to decipher the writing and origins, finally finding reference to it in the possessions of the First Dynasty's Second Emperor, known as the Purple Emperess. The Bronze work suggested it predated the Empire and perhaps was of the lost kingdom of Damamilia that is now the realm of the Dead Kings. I found patronage in the Noble Family of the High Wave that took interest in the book and sponsored an attempt to bargain for lore from the Masters of the Deadlands. Two units of Legion, a Priest and an Imperial Monitor Assassin went with us and one hundred Beastmen slaves as porters and drivers. The journey was long and perilous from the Esereti Provinces. No less when we finally arrived at one of the haunted ruined cities of the Dead Kings, where they and their minions lay in undead sleep. The Dead Kings are like the Titans - towering man-like shapes 4 to 5 meters tall with a single eye and long pointed ears. While the Titans are living flesh, the Dead Kings are gaunt and shriveled things of leather and bone. We resisted the Dead Kings attempts to feed upon us and via the good Priest Cyhen of the Tzihan family of the High Wave clan we made our wants known and traded the slaves to learn the book was written in the Taurien tongue. We returned home and I set out the next year to stay under the roof of an Esereti house upon the frontier having trade contact with the Taurien - Lirioden of the Golden Dragon Clan. From there, under guide and protection of the Lirioden house I settled in a trading town, jokingly called Ghaddyhap by the humans, in the wilds of the Taurien domain. I ended up spending several years there learning the Taurien language as well as the Classical Bronze Age high Taurien of 3600 years ago .
Now as my master work, I present my translation of Honored Loee# ( Hurh - a purred rolled "r") and the "Lore of the Namers" to compliment my prior journeymans book on the Taurien tongue.
Ridhi Yuqu, Master librarian and sage of the Imperial Library of Lanhou in the Imperial Year 1336 under the Red Jade Empress. Foreward to her "Lore of the Naming Kinds by Honored Loee#, taurien year 3533 CP."
Significance
The Centaur author Loee# had investigated the people and cultures, or lack of it, amongst the various Naming Kinds of intelligent tool using species including fearsome monster species, primarily by interview. The tome is exceptional in the depth and detail it contains on creatures known mostly as cannibals, and enemies of the other species, even though it is nearly 3500 years old.
Ridhi Yuqu's translation "Lore of the Naming Kinds by Honored Loee#, taurien year 3533 CP."
Item type
Book / Document
Subtype / Model
Used by
Owning Organization
Rarity
Very rare. The tome is the only one like it in the imperial libraries. Not only is Demon Scale rare and valuable, the Demon Scale pages are exceptionally large - most Demon Scale are only found in finger lengths.
Weight
2.2 kg
Dimensions
20x 15cm
Base Price
Priceless
Raw materials & Components
Etched bronze over the wooden cover and punch riveted to the first and last pages. Stitched with a series of drilled holes bored in the pages. The lettering is finely carved into the Demon Scale with illumination and illustration.
Comments