Description: The Book of Dead Names is a tome about
the size of an abridged dictionary, perhaps four inches thick, nine inches long and eleven inches wide. It is bound in black, fl aking leather and the spine cracks perilously when the book opens. The cracks in the leather seem to form pictures or pat- terns if one stares at them too long, and those who fall victim to the book’s madness (see below) often think they see the faces or names of dead loved ones there. On the spine of the book, a Roman numeral (“I”) is inscribed in gold ink.
Inside, the pages are covered with writing in black ink. The handwriting varies, as many different authors contrib- uted to the book over the years, but the script is always shaky, as though the writer was terrifi ed or hurried. The earliest entries in the Book of Dead Names are written in Latin, while later entries are in German, French and fi nally English.
Background: The Book of Dead Names is something
of a boogeyman to rare book collectors. Most enthusiasts, scholars and especially thieves who deal in rare or ancient texts have heard stories about a black book that drives any- one who reads it insane, but clearer heads see it as a fable, or at best, a cautionary tale (since some versions of the story say that the book is “alive” and only drives mad those who mistreat it). People who, for whatever reason, are aware of the supernatural treat these tales with a bit more respect.
The Book of Dead Names dates to the late 16th century. Assembled by a Jesuit priest (his name has been lost to time, though he is known to have been born in Naples), the Book was originally designed in conjunction with a decision by Pope Bene- dict XIV. Benedict, concerned with the fate of the souls of the Chinese who had never been baptized, and who still venerated their ancestors in a manner that made the Church uncomfort- able, decided that the names of those who died unsaved should be written in a special book. After special prayers and other in- tercessions, the Pope would declare these people true Christians, and their names would be removed. The Church never offi cially began this practice, but the unnamed priest did create the Book of Dead Names at the behest of Benedict XIV. The introductory passages in the Book describe, in Latin, the purpose for which it was originally intended, and a few names, some Italian, some Chinese, are written on the next few pages.
During the suppression of the Jesuit order, the Book of Dead Names was transported to Brussels and then into Ger- many. Scholars in the Church added names, often of close friends or family members whose souls they feared might not reach Heaven, for whatever reason. It was during this period that stories about the book’s corruptive infl uence started to emerge. Writings from priests of the time suggested that once a dead person’s name was entered into the Book, that spirit could possess the body of someone close to the book and force that unfortunate person to write messages into it
.
Indeed, interspersed with the short lists of names are passages supposedly written by ghosts possessing living writers (usually priests). Further, those who used (or were subjected to) this
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chapter two-a million little things
strange power of the book reported nightmares, hallucina- tions and knowledge of demons and evil spirits.
The book traveled from country to country and fi nally arrived in Dresden, Germany. It remained there in the hands of a private collector until 1945, when the Allied forces bombed the city. An American solider named Timothy Grasso found the book lying in the street. He knew enough Latin to translate a few sentences from the fi rst pages of the book, and decided to bring it home to see if it was worth anything. Grasso never read the book, but sold it upon returning to the United States.
In modern times, rare books collectors, Church schol- ars, and students of the occult might have heard of the Book of Dead Names. Spiritualist writings from the 1920s mention the Book, and one author identifi es it as “the single greatest resource for contacting the spirits of the departed that the world has ever lost.”
• The Catholic Church is quietly trying to reacquire the Book of Dead Names.
• The Jesuit priest who fi rst assembled the Book of Dead Names worked previously at the order’s Sinology school in Naples, and studied with Chinese converts and teach- ers. It is possible that the Book of Dead Names has a Chinese counterpart.
• Writing the name of a still-living person in the Book of Dead Names has a very different effect than writing the name of a dead person. That effect is described in a passage in the Book, written in French — the writer immediately “comes to know, in intimate and painful detail, the circumstances of the person’s death.” If this has ever been attempted, there are no recorded instances of it in the Book.
Storytelling Hints: The Book of Dead Names is a
tome of forbidden knowledge, tempting those who read it to try and contact the Beyond. The problem is, of course, that once someone has contacted the Beyond, he might not be able to look away. A character that uses the Book to contact a dead person might be able to gain all kinds of knowledge, both historical and practical, but the lingering effects of this contact (see below) can be damning.
Even without actually using the Book’s powers, it can be a fantastic source of information, since it con- tains passages written by the dead (by proxy, of course) over the past 300 years. Characters might search for the Book of Dead Names simply because they’ve heard it c o n t a i n s a description of an undead creature that they have angered, and then realize that they can call up the spirit of a person who fought that crea-
ture decades or centuries previously.
A signifi cant ques- tion concerning the Book is: Does it call up the spirits of the dead, or does it hold these unfortunate souls? Is the book fulfi lling the pur- pose that Benedict XIV intended for it, keeping the unsaved souls in sta- sis until they are ready to enter the hereafter? If so, does calling them back for i n f o r m a t i o n h a r m t h e m or help them? Would burning the book free them or
destroy them?
Effects
(Cursed) Addic- tive: Once a person has
used the Book of Dead Names, he feels com- pelled to do so again. they have angered, and then
that they can call up the spir person who fought tha ture decades or cen
previously. A signifi can tion concernin Book is: Does it the spirits of the
or does it hold unfortunate souls book fulfi lling th pose that Benedi intended for it, k the unsaved souls sis until they are to enter the her
If so, does them ba i n f o r m h a r m or help Would burni book free th destroy th
Effects
(Cursed) tive: Once a persused the Book o Names, he feel pelled to do so ag
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Entrap Entity (••): The Book of Dead Names was
designed to hold the souls of the dead in limbo, which, coincidentally, allows a person to write the words of those held souls into the Book.
(Unique) Eye-Opener (•••••): Mortals who use the
book more times than their Resolve + Composure ratings automatically gain the Unseen Sense Merit. The Merit always manifests as feelings of terror and dread, moments of dizziness and uncertainty, and even visual hallucinations. All normal prerequisites of the Unseen Sense Merit apply (see p. 109 of the World of Darkness Rulebook).