Livre D'ivon
Description
A parchment bundle, 10" by 15"; 179 pages. The pages are obviously old, and have suffered from both the elements and the negligence of past owners. The most obvious damage to the work is that the back edge of each sheet is ragged. The work is handwritten and copiously illuminated with grotesque faces, obscene marginalia, and a recurring curious sigil resembling a triskelion. While it is obvious that Roman characters are used, the condition and age of the manuscript makes the language difficult to determine.
Text
... I therefore submit this commentary. It contains no wisdom that is not a reflection of the wisdom of the Unfathomable One, Eibon the Inscrutable. It contains no secret that is not His, and no power. I, whose language is paltry and whose art is dim, scribe this meager work only because I fear that in my error I have corrupted the text of the Book, and wish to absolve myself to the reader of my crimes of omission by presenting what little knowledge I possess of the land above the north wind, and the deeds wrought by the men who dwelled there.
By certain signs and secret signals, it may be deduced that the hoary huntsman whom the Unfathomable One speaks of in the parable of the Eremite is one and the same as the Huntsman, who the witches and the farmers whisper of in the dark forests of the Empire to the east. Those who would speak with Him would be wise to travel where men do not go: to the dark places of the forest, or the harrowed shore. It is there that the seeker must make the seven-pointed star upon the ground, and burn the seven tallow candles, and break a stave of ash, and mend a spear of elm. It is there that one must call Him by his secret name, The Great Lord of the Abyss, Nodens, and mediate upon the Eremite's rhyme: "King of empty spaces / Lord of lonely places / I risk the huntsman's wrath / my mind has wandered from the path / as sun slips beneath the sky of grey / Huntsman make me predator not prey." Know this, however; He is no friend of the magus, for he hastes the magician's gods.
The sky drew dark when I reached the blighted lands, and I knew that Nathaire had grown very strong indeed. He had scribed his name in the Black Book, and his new master, le Homme Nuit had sent tow black dragons to serve him. In the endless night they were ever-watchful, but the learned one need never hold fear in his heart save of Sathojue', who is everything and nothing. Recalling the texts I had studied so long, I considered Eibon's symbol and how it might call forth a wheel of mist, that I might travel unseen by yellow eyes. It is written that one need but cross the arms across his chest and speak the words: xiothui terragyrus maturin...
Notes
This is a recent translation of the Book of Eibon, originally written by Caius Philippus Faber in the late 9th or early 10th century in medieval Latin. Gaspard du Nord created this French language translation in 13th century. The book mentions unfathomable, Eibon, the Inscrutable. Land above the North Wind. Nodens mentioned. Contains Eibon's Wheel of Mist spell. Book is a commentary on Eibon's other writings. Author is boastful of his studies under the wizard Nethare. Sathojue' is a furry toad-like diety worshiped by Eibon and du Nord. Deity described as a patron of sorcerers. Book ends with a battle against Nethare. Yellow eyes mentioned are related to the thousand-faced god, lord of night, black man, aka <something>.
Experiences with Ancient Text
Alister Trimble learned the Eibon's Wheel of Mist spell from this book. By placing a small bronze disk etched with a three legged swastika on the ground, the spell causes a whirling cylinder of mist to rise and hide the caster from certain mythos creatures. The cylinder cannot move, and it's height is determined by the caster and how much magic they pour into the spell. The wheel takes a few minutes to form and lasts for up to half an hour.