I read an urban legend recently about a "story so scary that anyone who listens to it dies of fright" and I've been spiraling through "What If" scenarios in my head ever since so here I am to make them a reality. :P

Imagine if there was a (possibly apocryphal) type of magic that could be performed by reading a particular book, eg love poems that make people actually fall in love, bedtime stories that cause you to fall asleep, books that leave the reader cursed or bestow particular benefits on the reader like making them smarter, younger, more handsome, wealthier, luckier, etc. A book that grants a wish.

Some characters try to get their hands on these (again, potentially apocryphal) books for a variety of reasons...

Potential ins for this plot:
- character(s) seeking the books for academic reasons, eg they want to know if they really exist and study the magic that created them (of my crew, Oz or Victor would fit here)
- character(s) seeking the books for personal/selfish reasons (of my crew, Dot could fit here)
- character(s) seeking the books to contain/destroy them
- character(s) who don't believe in the books, until weird things start happening to the people who are looking for them (Morgan fits)
- characters who may have had the books in their possession at one point, or were connected to people who were ~impacted by the book (eg "my grandparents fell in love overnight and grandma had this one book she was always very particular about keeping on her bedside table" and people are like "!!!!")
- characters who may or may not believe the books exist but have stories to tell (or embellish) about the books to either lead people down the right track or distract them
- characters who discover the books haphazardly and are themselves impacted by the spells

I wouldn't want all of my characters listed above involved but I would love to use any of them, particularly if there are other people seeking the books with ~clashing motivation, which could become dramatic later.

Once I get a few "seekers" picked out we can jointly discuss how many books there (supposedly) are and what they (supposedly) do! Feel free to reply here or just hit me up on Discord

  

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MJ made this <3

Malcorvus would seek out such a book for academic and maybe personal reasons, depending on what it could do.

If the book gave some kind of power (or influence) Steliana would seek it to possess and potentially use.

The following 1 user Likes Walter Staghart's post:1 user Likes Walter Staghart's post
   Reuben Crouch

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Barbie and Thomas Harvey would def get in on this! Perhaps getting wind of the rumors and investigating further for the curiosity of the puzzle as well as the potential for personal gain profit wise.

The following 2 users Like Barnabas Beck's post:2 users Like Barnabas Beck's post
   Reuben Crouch, Thomas Harvey

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[Please feel free to punch, cut, maim, etc. Barbie at your leisure! Death is the only thing off the table. <3]

Seneca would be super into this and would probably want to create her own.

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   Reuben Crouch

as LdyPayne indicated - the Flints would def be interested in being part of this, for their atiquarian library

I'd also be inclined to bring back Elizabeth Cardew as the sceptic academic - would be able to provide historical information and context of what she believes is the 'myth' of bibliomancy only to be converted - the charming equivalent of the college professor in the horror movie who translates the evil curse but admonishes the victims for being hysterical afterall 'its only a myth!', but ends up murdered by a ghost in the finale - I'm agnostic as to the murder.

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   Reuben Crouch, Vincent Iago

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Gin made something stunning

Legit all my kids except maybe Algae could be convinced into this. I will volunteer Vince, Basil and Oli foremost however~

Basil for purely academic insights as he will be happily engaged at Hogwarts soon; Vince for more involved plots of any and every nature; and Oli by proxy of the fact that I need him to find one because I have my own plot bunny on the side that I think this suits PERFECTLY~ But also feel free to include him as needed! He will be grouchily involved and I need more things for him pls <3

The following 1 user Likes Vincent Iago's post:1 user Likes Vincent Iago's post
   Reuben Crouch

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i desire very little but the things i do consume me

This is a fun idea!

June would want one just to have one. Gus will be at Hogwarts soon, but if you need someone who would want the books destroyed, he'd be your guy. Timoleon would fall under seeking the books for personal/selfish reasons. He's also DMLE and has no issues abusing power lol.

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   Reuben Crouch

I could see Hesta and Agrimony both being interested!

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   Reuben Crouch, Vincent Iago

Ayy I am SO EXCITED about all the interest!

I'm thinking maybe around 5 books would be a good number to have in the legend? Whether they all actually exist (or exist as the legend specifies) would be up to how the plot develops.

I'm also intrigued by the idea of a risk/reward balance with each of these, like they each have a "good" impact but there's also a catch that would make them dangerous to use, potentially.

Just throwing this out here so you all can noodle over what would be most interesting for your characters. I'll start a Discord group later to bounce ideas!

The following 1 user Likes Reuben Crouch's post:1 user Likes Reuben Crouch's post
   Vincent Iago

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MJ made this <3

I should also add that I've been looking for Hestia to get in a bit over her head / eventually end up a little beat up/eventually found by Barnabas Beck and Thomas Harvey, so if someone wants to piggy back off of this plot for Hestia's mini-one hmu as well! <3

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   Reuben Crouch, Thomas Harvey

Piling on :D Besides Tommy mentioned above I could also volunteer;
- Ida Chang because of tangential saw some murders thing. Would be the academic route, she'll be at Flint institute also come fall
- Cassian Valenduris head hitwizard, seeking books to contain/destroy is decidedly NOT his department but he could get roped in/do so by accident and general DMLE stuff
- @"Sophia Voss" would just be random possible fit with the personal/selfish brief but would need to noodle on it a bit

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   Vincent Iago

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stefanie made this beautiful set <3

Elsie would be Academically Interested as it has to do with books, but I am entering Doomsday in a week and so therefore may not be very active. She could very well be interested in researching if someone were to come to the library and ask though!

  

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MJ always makes her so pretty

Of all my characters, both Sage Macnair & Rupert Bingham would both be very into this.

any number of mine are available for any related accidental mishaps barring actual death.

  

Elsie would be Academically Interested as it has to do with books, but I am entering Doomsday in a week and so therefore may not be very active. She could very well be interested in researching if someone were to come to the library and ask though!

I think this plot is likely to develop over the course of a few weeks/months - it's like happening in the background for all the characters involved - so we can probably circle back to Elsie once you're more available! I think a ton of characters seeking out the books will be heading through Crowdy to research at one point or another so lots of opportunities to cross paths.

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   Elsie Kirke

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MJ made this <3

Elsie would be Academically Interested as it has to do with books, but I am entering Doomsday in a week and so therefore may not be very active. She could very well be interested in researching if someone were to come to the library and ask though!

I think this plot is likely to develop over the course of a few weeks/months - it's like happening in the background for all the characters involved - so we can probably circle back to Elsie once you're more available! I think a ton of characters seeking out the books will be heading through Crowdy to research at one point or another so lots of opportunities to cross paths.

Sounds good! I'll pop back in when I can or people can holler if they need me and I'll try my best!

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   Eldritch Morgan

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MJ always makes her so pretty

I'm prodding this back to life because I've decide Xav has one of these books in his basement. I don't care which one. He hasn't used it yet and since it's in the middle of a trunk of other books he might not even realize he has it. (aka, if you're looking, here's a good place to start - ask Xav for a tour of his basement!)

Also copying the book list over from the Discord channel:

Here have some fancy Latin names (feel free to translate to other languages if your character is researching non-English origin stories for the books, or just mess around with them coming up in various ways and being referenced differently)

- Liber Mentis | Book of the Mind | memory-altering

- Liber Mortis | Book of Death | commune with death

- Liber Anima | Book of Heart | influence others

- Liber Vitae | Book of Life | fountain of youth

- Liber Visionis | Book of Sight | future knowledge