The Crimson Codex

The Crimson Codex, subtitled the Book of the Virtues and Sympathies of Blood and Bone, is a mysterious ancient manuscript by an unknown author, apparently crafted in the age of the Old Kingdoms of Magicians' End, sometime around the year 11500 BPC. It is mostly written in an ancient language of the Painted Peoples, known as Wet Cursive . Wet Cursive was no longer in common use when the New Kingdoms arose and decoding the text is far from straightforward, particularly as some sections appear to be in another otherwise completely unknown langauge and the translation of these parts is largely a matter of inference and guesswork.
Evidence within the text suggests that the author had travelled into the Discontinuum (although it is not directly referred to in those terms) and most likely in the company of an unidentified Power.
The Crimson Codex cannot be opened, except by those who are willing to anoint it with their own fresh blood, blood which seems to preserve the physical structure in some way, so that although it is an incredibly ancient volume it is still in good condition, with almost all of it completely legible.

Purpose

In the introduction to the Sanguine Scriptures, the mystical opening section of the codex, the author declares that the transcription of the arcane knowledge of blood magic is a holy duty which has been imposed on him by a Power with whom he has travelled into distant realms of space and time. In return for the visions he has been shown he is obligated to set down the secret virtues of blood and bone so that the gods of the realm may not keep these truths hidden from mortals.
The codex does not belong in the corpus of works derived from the pantheon of the Old Gods. In fact, on the contrary, it seems to be somewhat hostile to those traditions, with the author warning against idle worship of deities who do not deserve it. It seems clear that the Power who inspired the codex was inimical to the authority of the Old Gods and it is not unreasonable to speculate that the creation of the codex itself was an act designed to undermine them, although apparently without much immediate success.

Document Structure

Clauses

Sanguine Scriptures

The book opens with a section entitled the Sanguine Scriptures in which the author dedicates the work to a Power with a name that cannot be recorded and sets out some objections to the rule of the Old Gods, declaring that only by following the edicts and instructions in the codex, can humans find liberty to pursue their own destiny, free from the meddling of a pantheon of squabbling deities.

Blood to Blood, Bone to Bone

The second section is a discussion of heredity and the arcane links between true names and blood. Here the author explains how blood is a signal across the barriers between worlds and the care that must be taken to avoid bleeding in the presence of specific kinds of spirits that can hunt within some of the more symbolic archetypal domains and sometimes even across the barriers between worlds. The Stability Council has long known how the revelation of a true name in the presence of openly flowing blood can be very dangerous in places such as the Autumn Country, but this account is thought to be the earliest known recognition of the effect recorded in any realm.

Binding Oaths

In this section, which is the longest part of the codex, the author sets out a series of arcane rules for the creation of binding oaths using blood from parties to the compact.

The Fountain of Life

In the most obscure part of the codex, the author describes how blood may be taken from others to stem the effects of aging, allowing a mortal adept to achieve eternal life. There are references to the Blood Iris Sisters and their sacred knowledge, but the codex warns against trusting them and advocates a different kind of program.

Historical Details

Background

Based on a linguistic analysis of the style and grammar of the text, it is estimated that the book was written around about 11500 BPC but there is a wide margin of error for this date.

History

In so far as is we can say, there was only ever one copy of the Crimson Codex and its existence seems to have been kept as a secret known only to a few individuals at any one time. It appears that the book was brought to Katrapetch, circa 9350 BPC when the Empire of Bradalkut controlled the city. It remained locked in deep vaults under the palace for more than twelve thousand years, until Clarise Vabatan discovered it. Only then, in the Time of Terrors were its secrets exploited by the Sisters of Vabatan, with dreadful consequences.
We do not know what happened to the codex after the demise of Clarise Vabatan and her organisation, and its whereabouts have remained a mystery for more than two thousand years since.

Language(s)

Wet Cursive

Type

Manuscript, Magical (Tome/Scroll)

Medium

Vellum / Skin

Authoring Date

circa 11500 BPC