Death's Compendium on Temporal Affairs

Written by World Smithy

There is little known about Death's book that it keeps with it during a visit with any given mortal soul. What is known, however, is that it is completely full of stories and knowledge. No, no... not fictional tales; it contains the stories of innumerable, real people that have long since passed on. The only reason the book is known of at all is due to a few instances where a soul was transfering it's life story into the book when it was suddenly revived and dragged back (often kicking and screaming) to be with the living once again. One such individual would go on to visit the famous artist, Aromon Holaralei, and describe the book in excruciating detail. The painting by Holaralei is the only known, "accurate" depiction of Death's Compendium.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

The Plumebearer, Death, is able to coax mortal souls away from their fallen and often times broken bodies by promising them a tale that they've never before heard. As soon as a mortal's soul willingly leaves their body, Death recites them a story from the book, recounting a tale long lost to time. In return, the mortal soul must transcribe their own life's story within the pages of the Compendium. Once the task is complete, no matter how detailed, Death will usher the mortal's soul onwards towards the Fortress of Memories to be sorted into their proper afterlife. When the tome's pages are filled, it is returned to Bheniin, the one who started it all, to be archived within the Fotress of Memories. When this process concludes, a new tome partially filled with fables of old is produced and given to Death, so that it can continue its station's duties to The Raven Queen.

History

Speculation surrounds the origins of the Compendium on Temporal Affairs, but many scholars suggest that ancient aliens Bheniin, The Final Scribe, may have been the deity to manufacture it sometime after the creation of mortal life. The tome is mentioned once or twice in the surviving manuscripts, tablets, and other relics that have been recovered from various expeditions to ruins that were once part of The Dominion of Vasan. These relics mention the first known use of the name of it, The Compendium on Temporal Affairs, along with the name of the one who once used it, Iudex (Judge). After the collapse and total capitulation of the ancient Dominion, it was thought that the Compendium died along with its previous wielder. After the near-death experience of a certain mortal, however, it has been (at least anecdotally) confirmed that the tome continues its tenure - just in different hands.

Significance

The book of mortals' stories have inspired countless projects attempting a similar feat, but each was bound to fail before they ever started due to the very nature of the task.

The Fablewing's Tome of Tales, by Aromon Holaralei

Item type

Book / Document

Creation Date

Unknown

Current Holder

The One Known as Death

Rarity

Unique

Weight

"I think it was... uh, 7-ish pounds? Spirit pounds? Hmm..."

Dimensions

"I don't know, about this tall by this wide? I was dead, man!"

Base Price

"You tell me: how much is every mortal's story worth?"