A Collection of curious items crafted by diverse hands

[yalenusveler]

Some random Grimores and objects of interest, created at the urging of NeoTiamat, for possible future vexation of PCs in Eye of Anubis and its likely sequel(s), as well as possible fleshing out for QtR if there's enough interest. More to come if so requested.

Title: The Smiling Vivisectionist, or A Comedy of morals
Appearance: A small book, rather akin to a Dead Travel Fast Romance, bearing the title in a rather lurid typeface.
Author: Unknown
Contents: A rather unusual story of a man hired to vivisect “Criminals” and discovering within them various organs rather out of place in a human, or any other currently known race. The Arcane properties of said organs are discussed at length, however no means of discovering who bears said organs is discussed at any point.
Copies known to exist: 3, 1 in FoS hands, 1 in the library of the university of Il-Aluk, and a badly water damaged copy in the hands of a private collector in Mordentshire.


Title: Anthropological specimens #354 through #360
Appearance: A collection of human skulls, bearing writing in a script similar to that used by the Thanni. Specimens 357 and 358 appear to have undergone trepanation at some point.
Contents: Currently unknown, however common theory suggests that they are a text on the mentalist arts known to be practiced by the Thanni ethnic group. A linguist proficient in Thanni was able to confirm that the script is in fact, similar; however he was unable to make any headway on a proper translation due to the complexity of concepts discussed.
Copies known to exist: All 7 specimens are in the possession of the University of Dementlieu. Rumors of an 8th skull have occasionally surfaced, with one going on the market in 757, however it was proven to be a forgery.

Title: The Confession of Reynard Duchagne
Appearance: A collection of hastily scribbled notes in High Mordentish, 10 pages in all
Contents: The Confession of an Anchorite proven to have compacted with fiends, the confession contains a discussion of the nature of sin, as well as the infernal hierarchy. Several references are made to the “Sea within which we float” and “The Infinite worlds we will never see”. Duchagne was executed in 744. The last three pages however, were written 2 days after Duchagne’s execution.
Copies Known to Exist: 1, assumed to be within the possession of the Nevuchar Springs branch of the Ezrite Church.

Title: Theoretical proofs within the realm of higher probability theory
Author: Johann Volkswald, b730-d755, graduate student at the University of Dementlieu
Appearance: A rather thick text, professionally bound however rather sloppily edited.
Contents: The first 100 pages are a rather mundane and dry discussion of probability as it extends to the prediction of events. After that however, the text digresses into a long and rambling dialogue on the increasing probability of apocalyptic events in the years following 755, with sentences dropping off in midpoint and continuing in notes within the margins, not all of them in the hand of the initial author.
Copies Known to Exist:1 in the collection of the mathematics department of the university of Dementlieu

Title: Weather Anomalies in Northwestern Darkon, year 740
Author: Professor Marguerite Seylte
Appearance: A collection of half finished notes, likely for later publication
Contents: A discussion of unnatural weather phenomena in Northwest Darkon during the year 740, including a rain of what can only be described as fetal pigs, though necropsy confirmed their internal organs bore no semblance to common swine. Contains numerous interviews with eyewitnesses, as well as drawings of the results of necropsy.
Copies known to exist: 1, currently thought to be in the library of the University of Il-Aluk

Title: Unfinished work for Violin
Composer: Symon Basaliceri
Appearance: Handwritten sheet music
Contents: An unfinished work for the violin, however certain sections are considered to be impossible to play without some sort of magic increasing the alacrity of the performer. A production was rumored to have been performed in Liffe, however it was halted when audience members began to complain of ocular pain and one patron was seen to be bleeding from the tear ducts.
Copies known to exist: 1, in the archives of the University of Liffe, a second copy is thought to be in possession of Harkon Lukas of Kartakass

Title: Mommy Won’t Wake up
Author: unknown, presumed to be a child
Appearance: 6 sheets of paper bearing a child’s handwriting in Vaasi, as well as several drawings
Contents: A disturbing account of how “Mommy won’t wake up, but the man who lives in the corner says he’ll tell me a word that’ll wake her up if I be a good boy”. At least two of the “drawings” that were originally dismissed as scribbles have been conclusively proven to be glyphs seen typically in spells related to the animation of the dead.
Copies known to exist: The original is known to be in the collection of Mistress Eleni of Hazlan, however at least four copies are known to be circulating amongst collectors, however the circulating copies are incomplete, lacking the necromantic glyphs. All copies are non-magical.

Name: The Pettenghast Mirrors
Appearance: 2 small hand mirrors, set in black and gold lacquered frames
Associated phenomena: Anyone looking into either mirror reports there being something slightly “off” about the reflection shown, though it is never anything distinctly noticeable, simply a perception that somehow what is shown is not quite accurate. Both mirrors have been examined and found to be of near flawless construction, so the effect cannot be attributed to defect.
Current owner: Mme. Rosalie Guyot of Chateaufaux owns one of the mirrors, the other’s location is unknown

Title: Stone sphere of unknown make
Appearance: a smooth stone sphere, obviously too refined to be natural, yet at the same time showing no tool marks or other indicators of human craftsmanship
Associated Phenomena: when placed at the bottom of a man made incline, the sphere when unobserved will slowly begin to roll up the incline, ceasing apparently immediately before an observer turns to look directly at it. The sphere has been tested, and shown to be non magical.
Current Owner: a toymaker in Borca.

Title: Ornate scrimshaw pieces 21 through 25
Appearance: several pieces of scrimshawed whalebone depicting sleepy fishing community life. However, closer examination reveals several disturbing features on the residents, as well as strange shadows lurking in the water.
Origin: Presumed to be somewhere in the nocturnal sea.
Current owner: Held in the collection of the University of Liffe

[BigBadQDaddy]

This is some sweet stuff. Thanks for the inspiration

[Sorti]

I love them! "Mommy won't wake up" is what I call creepy

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Awesome! ("Mommy won't wake up" especially will give me nightmares. Thanks! )

[Joël of the FoS]

That's indeed creepy. Yes, if you want to make a QtR article, that would be fun.

Joël

[NeoTiamat]

I think my personal favorite is the Theoretical Proofs within the realm of higher probability theory, by Johann Volkswald. There's just something delicious about mathematically-calculated apocalypses.

[DocBeard]

Nice touch with the il-Aulk references.

That'd be a hell of an adventure, getting in and out of the slain city with a bunch of research intact.

[Ken of Ghastria]

Agreed, I really liked the weather anomalies hook even before I read that the only copy was in Il Aluk. Very cool.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Interesting stuff ... "Mommy won't wake up" is pretty chilling, whereas the stone sphere seems almost whimsical for Ravenloft. I wonder what the horrible, horrible catch is.

[DocBeard]

A perpetual motion machine that stops whenever you look at it? That one wigged me out the most.

Anyway if you're going to expand this into an article, I'd have some in game effects. Once Arcane Power's out we'll have okayish summoning rules that can be adapted to item based or non-arcane power based summoning techniques.

[Archedius]

great list- I've saved this onto my hard drive for posterity: ) Make a netbook article with more wonderful, evil things please!

[Jakob]

Great list! Just copy/pasted it.

[DasSoviet]

That's indeed creepy. Yes, if you want to make a QtR article, that would be fun.

Joël

I must second this suggestion... this would be an excellent concept to expand upon and transform into a fully fledged article... there are certainly some more fanatically horrible items where these came from!

[DilisnyaRevenge]

Seriously.... Very nice post. Love it.

[Chaderick]

I don't post often, but I check daily...I just had to break my silence to say that these are some of the most inspired items/hooks I've read in some time. This is why I love Ravenloft!

Thanks for sharing!!!