Through the Mists

Book of Names

At a glance

A magical record of names and lives. The Rivalis chapel used one manifestation to locate graves, while Castle Avernus contains a vast index and countless individual records.

Observed properties

  • Appeared on a central pedestal when summoned by a chapel attendant.
  • Contained the full names of Ignatius, Rage, and Carver.
  • Contained information sufficient to locate particular graves.
  • The Castle Avernus index is vastly larger than the Rivalis book and contains names rather than complete histories.
  • The first name Carver saw in the index was Firan Zal’honan. The party did not recognize its significance at the time.
  • Elzarath can use the index to locate an individual’s thin personal record.
  • Rage’s record contained his forgotten thoughts from arriving in Darkon as an outsider.
  • A magical feather writes the party’s current actions into the record in real time.
  • Mundane ink cannot mark its pages.
  • Elzarath found no record for Darian Corvrick, who claimed his name had been erased.
  • Hyskosa later scried Firan Zal’honan among amber sarcophagi, giving the first name Carver saw in the index a second unexplained appearance.

Reported origin or purpose

  • The attendant attributed its knowledge to Azalin and his “quest over the undead.”
  • She claimed that all names are known through life and death.
  • Mordenkainen believes the Book of Names and ancient magic within Castle Avernus store and steal the memories Darkon takes from its inhabitants, though he does not know how to resist the effect.

Reliability

The records and their continuing writing were directly observed. Their origin, limits, and relationship to Azalin remain unconfirmed. The connection between the Rivalis book and Castle Avernus’s archive appears strong but has not been fully explained.

Why it matters

Mordenkainen’s warning makes the Book central to whether the company can ever return to Darkon without losing itself again.

Open questions

  • Whose names does the book contain?
  • Does it merely record lives, or can it influence names, memories, life, or death?
  • Is the book permanently housed in Rivalis, or was it summoned from elsewhere?
  • Who or what writes through the magical feather?
  • Who is Firan Zal’honan, why did his name appear first, and what was he doing among amber sarcophagi?
  • How can a name be erased, and what are the consequences?
  • How does the Book participate in stealing or preserving Darkon’s memories?

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