The Book of Secrets

Stub-class article · First seen: s22 · Last seen: s23
The Book of Secrets
Book of Secrets
The Book of Secrets, Book (unidentified), silver-inlaid, bearing Vecna's sigil portrait
Item
StatusActive
First seens22
Last seens23
TypeBook (unidentified), silver-inlaid, bearing Vecna's sigil
AttunementUnknown
HolderFather Thomas (in his pouch, in his backpack)
OriginFound on about 150 gold coins in the hole under the toppled mummy-lord statue, in a hidden five-sided chamber of the ridge temple (s22)

The Book of Secrets is a silver-inlaid book bearing Vecna’s sigil, found in session 22 on top of about 150 gold coins in a hole under a toppled mummy-lord statue, in a hidden five-sided chamber of the ridge temple [20][2][5]. Its pages looked blank until Father Thomas whispered a secret into it, and then it showed text in a language he could not read, with a line inside the front cover: “burn the letters silence the witnesses keep the knowledge” [11][35][12]. Whether it is magical is unknown [8]. Father Thomas keeps it in the pouch in his backpack, and in session 23 neither he nor Hugo could read it [15][51][42].

Overview

The Book of Secrets came out of the second fight of session 22. Behind a secret door that Terry found in the statue room of the ridge temple was a five-sided chamber, where a cobwebbed statue that “seems to be depicting a mummy lord” stood over a circular seam in the floor [19][20][21]. Hugo shoved it over and two flameskulls woke. When they were beaten, the hole the statue had plugged held a book lying on a pile of gold [1][2]. Father Thomas has carried it since, and no one has been able to read it.

Description

“A very beautiful silver inlaid book with Vecna’s sigil on it” [5]. The DM did not describe the sigil. The pages looked blank to Caelumn and to Terry, whose Investigation of 22 found only “an empty book” [3][22][23]. After Father Thomas whispered a secret into it, text appeared that “seems foreign to you” [11]. Inside the front cover someone had written “burn the letters silence the witnesses keep the knowledge” [12].

Mechanics (as played)

  • Its name. On Caelumn’s Investigation of 15 the DM said, “you see that it’s called the Book of Secrets.” [24].
  • Magic. “You won’t be able to detect if it’s magic with Arcana.” [8]. Terry could have cast Detect Magic, but not while keeping the book out of Caelumn’s reach, and he did not [25].
  • Blood. Father Thomas rubbed his blood down the spine. Nothing happened to the book, and the DM charged him one piercing damage, then said, “I thought you cut yourself in order to…” [9].
  • A whispered secret. At Hugo’s suggestion that the book might answer a secret [26], Father Thomas took it aside and whispered one into it. The secret went privately to the DM and is not recorded here [27][28][29]. The DM called a contested Stealth check on whether the others overheard it [30][31]. The book’s answer: “As you whisper into the book, you feel something changing inside you. But the book does reveal some text. However, it seems foreign to you.” [11].
  • Reading it. Father Thomas cannot identify the language. He speaks Common, Sign Language and Elvish [32]. Asked at a runed door in session 23 whether he could comprehend languages, Terry said, “No, I haven’t found a scroll.” [33][34].

Open questions

  • What changed inside Father Thomas when he whispered his secret, what language is the text in, and what does it say [11][35]?
  • Was the inscription inside the cover there all along, or did it appear with the revealed text? Who wrote it, and which letters and witnesses are meant [23][12]?
  • Is the book magical? Arcana cannot tell, and no one has cast Detect Magic [8].
  • How does it relate to Vecna, “the god of secrets and whispers”, and to the mural that opened a hidden door when Caelumn whispered a secret to it [36][37][38][14]? The DM has not said.
  • Does the piercing damage for the blood stand, and did anyone overhear the secret [39][40][30]?
  • Is there a cipher, as Hugo guessed, and why does Father Thomas keep the book from his companions’ eyes [41][42][43]?

History in the campaign

Session 22: The Dragon in the Statue

Main article: Session 22

In a hidden chamber, Hugo shoved over the mummy-lord statue, which was “kind of like a cork” in its hole, and two flameskulls woke [1]. Afterwards he saw “a book resting on top of a lot of gold coins” there [2]. Caelumn’s Investigation named it the Book of Secrets [4]. It was blank to him and to Terry, who kept it from him in a contested Athletics check while Caelumn took the roughly 150 coins [44]. Terry handed it to Father Thomas, who bled on its spine and then whispered a secret into it. Foreign text appeared, and the DM read out the line inside the cover [45]. He put the book in his pouch [46][47].

Session 23: The Changeling in Manacles

Main article: Session 23

After the first fight back inside the temple, the DM reminded the party that Vecna is “the god of secrets and whispers” [14]. Father Thomas took the book out again, and it “seems to still be gibberish” [15]. Hugo watched him struggle with it and asked to read it too; the DM called for Perception and Intelligence checks, and he could see words but read none [48][49][50][51]. Hugo guessed that the book might hold a cipher. Father Thomas, seeing he was watched, put it back in his pouch and would say only that there was a reason [18].

Status

As of session 23. In Father Thomas’s pouch, in his backpack [42]. Unidentified, and its revealed text is still unreadable to him and to Hugo [15][51]. The session paused mid-fight in the temple [52].

See also

References

  1. ^ Session 22, line 1062-1066: The mummy-lord statue sits "like a cork"; Hugo shoves it over and two skulls wake.
  2. ^ Session 22, line 1607: In the hole under the statue, "a book resting on top of a lot of gold coins".
  3. ^ Session 22, line 1609: Caelumn picks it up: "It seems to be empty.".
  4. ^ Session 22, line 1616: On Caelumn's Investigation the DM names it: "it's called the Book of Secrets".
  5. ^ Session 22, line 1621: "a very beautiful silver inlaid book with Vecna's sigil on it".
  6. ^ Session 22, line 1639-1644: Terry's Investigation of 22 finds "an empty book"; he takes it into his shell.
  7. ^ Session 22, line 1653-1656: A contested Athletics check with Caelumn: "Terry manages to keep on to the book.".
  8. ^ Session 22, line 1673: The DM: "You won't be able to detect if it's magic with Arcana.".
  9. ^ Session 22, line 1797-1800: Father Thomas rubs his blood down the spine; the DM charges "one piercing damage", then explains his assumption.
  10. ^ Session 22, line 1812: Terry: "I handed it over to Father Thomas because he asked nicely.".
  11. ^ Session 22, line 1832: The whispered secret: "you feel something changing inside you"; the text "seems foreign to you".
  12. ^ Session 22, line 1848: Inside the front cover: "burn the letters silence the witnesses keep the knowledge".
  13. ^ Session 22, line 1849-1850: Father Thomas closes the book and puts it in his pouch.
  14. ^ Session 23, line 1477: The DM reminds the party that "Vecna is the god of secrets and whispers".
  15. ^ Session 23, line 1484: Father Thomas takes the book out of his bag again: "it seems to still be gibberish".
  16. ^ Session 23, line 1487-1488: Hugo, beside him, watches: "you can definitely see that he's trying to read the words".
  17. ^ Session 23, line 1510-1515: Hugo's Perception and Intelligence checks: "That's got to be a no."; he can see words and read none.
  18. ^ Session 23, line 1519-1522: Hugo suggests a cipher; Father Thomas puts the book back "in my pouch in my backpack": "there's a reason".
  19. ^ Session 22, line 974: Inline citation.
  20. ^ Session 22, line 1002: Inline citation.
  21. ^ Session 22, line 1008: Inline citation.
  22. ^ Session 22, line 1633: Inline citation.
  23. ^ Session 22, line 1639: Inline citation.
  24. ^ Session 22, line 1614-1616: Inline citation.
  25. ^ Session 22, line 1672-1675: Inline citation.
  26. ^ Session 22, line 1801: Inline citation.
  27. ^ Session 22, line 1814: Inline citation.
  28. ^ Session 22, line 1821: Inline citation.
  29. ^ Session 22, line 1822: Inline citation.
  30. ^ Session 22, line 1825: Inline citation.
  31. ^ Session 22, line 1855: Inline citation.
  32. ^ Session 22, line 1838-1840: Inline citation.
  33. ^ Session 23, line 1667: Inline citation.
  34. ^ Session 23, line 1668: Inline citation.
  35. ^ Session 22, line 1839: Inline citation.
  36. ^ Session 21, line 728: Inline citation.
  37. ^ Session 22, line 728: Inline citation.
  38. ^ Session 22, line 770: Inline citation.
  39. ^ Session 22, line 1798: Inline citation.
  40. ^ Session 22, line 1800: Inline citation.
  41. ^ Session 23, line 1519: Inline citation.
  42. ^ Session 23, line 1520: Inline citation.
  43. ^ Session 23, line 1522: Inline citation.
  44. ^ Session 22, line 1639-1661: Inline citation.
  45. ^ Session 22, line 1796-1848: Inline citation.
  46. ^ Session 22, line 1849: Inline citation.
  47. ^ Session 22, line 1850: Inline citation.
  48. ^ Session 23, line 1487: Inline citation.
  49. ^ Session 23, line 1488: Inline citation.
  50. ^ Session 23, line 1514: Inline citation.
  51. ^ Session 23, line 1515: Inline citation.
  52. ^ Session 23, line 1902: Inline citation.
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