The Verðandi

Listen closely

Make four cuts on the palm that meet in the center. Anoint with incense, then bleed into the bowl. Mix it with mercury and be ready - the truth is in reach.

— Excerpt from the Rites of the Verðandi

The Verðandi is a severed human head of indeterminable age. Most of its flesh has become mummified, though some remain in a state of perpetual decay without ever rotting away. Most notably, the tongue remains, blackened, bloated, and slimy like a slug. Parts of the skull have been replaced or plated with metal - bronze, black iron, and brass. Gemstones have replaced most of the teeth and have been embedded across the cranium. Even with the adornments, the Verðandi is significantly heavier then one would expect.
Lights dim around the Verðandi. No matter how much illumination is brought near, it will never rise above a gloomy twilight.

Waking The Voice

The Verðandi whisper secrets, to those willing to pay the price. Dark tomes speak of sacrifice and rites that will stir the dreaming mind of the Verðandi. Some claim the Verðandi's tongue reaches out to devour the offerings, others say it must be poured into its mouth. Once fed, it will speak.

To those bold or desperate enough to chance it, the Verðandi tells of arcane secrets and dark prophecy, sometimes offering advice or warning. At least once, it has offered nothing but an earth-shattering scream that killed the supplicant.
To others, it has been their initiation into the dark arts of Thaumaturgy, while others claim to hear whispers from the long-dead in its voice. Everyone hears something different, and the Verðandi rarely repeat itself. When it does, it is to deliver dire omen.

Some whisper that failed some have been eaten by the Verðandi. Many who invoke it are never the same,

For this reason and many other, the Verðandi is sought after by many who know of it. A few wish to destroy it, but most seek to tease some hideous secret from the skull - a fragment of immortality, a cipher for the Key of the Black Star, the last words of a loved one, or a cure to Desolation. The myths are as many as those who chase after them.

Who - or what - the Verðandi is remains unknown. It is unclear when the head of Verðandi first appeared or how it came into the possession of its first owner. The age and name of the being once decapitated is unknown, as is the means by which it cheats final oblivion. The head has never shown any signs of higher thinking or personality. Questions about its name or nature never yield answers.
It has changed hands many times, usually violently, and with every decade the truth slips deeper into the shadows. The first mention of the Verðandi is at least two centuries old, but most believe it is far older.

by MrZarono

Even the name "Verðandi" is only a guess. Some speculate that the head belongs to the original author of the Key of the Black Star while others argue that the head belongs to an entity far more ancient; perhaps, not even human.

On occasion, the Verðandi has opened its eyes and spoken unbidden, and it has always been a terrible truth.

Unbreakable

Every attempt to destroy the Verðandi has failed. Greedy thieves have tried to dislodge either jewel or metal without success. Blows to the skull have at most created cracks and fractures and fire shy away from the bone.
These blemishes never last for more than a few nights, knitting close when no one is watching. Ever so often, the Verðandi exacts vengeance for the damage done to it.

Key of the Black Star

The Key is a tome of arcane secrets and occult knowledge. No matter how many times it is destroyed, it always reappears with new chapters written by authors unknown. The first mention anyone can find of the word "Verðandi" comes from a fragment of the Key.
Read More About the Key of the Black Star

by Orm-Z-Gor