The White Isle

This is a book that tells of a dark and weird descent into the land of the dead and its terrible consequences. The author, Inanna, prepares for her descent to the underworld by donning the seven certain articles of clothing symbolic of her magical power, which gatekeepers then force her to remove as she passes through each of the seven doorways leading into the underworld, where Wemusa awaits her with “the word of wrath” and “the eye of death". Stripped finally naked, Inanna is killed and hung up on a peg on the wall to rot for three days and nights until she is brought back to life by the food of Kurgarra and the water of Galatur (two little fey creatures formed of Wemusa's fingernail dirt). Inanna's "rotting" is an initiation into understanding the inexorable cycle of life-that each one of us is born, ages and dies, only to be born again from the earth in some new form-maybe as humus, maybe through our children. Death is a part of life. This darksome tome establishes motifs such as divestiture, doorways, the eye of wrath, crucifixion, and rebirth. Inanna’s descent and return also has an astronomical corollary which insists on the following traditions: the naked soul descends from its celestial home by passing through each of the seven planetary spheres, to assume its appropriate material element before becoming fully incarnate on Earth. When it returns at the moment of death, the soul sheds each material element at each of the seven planetary spheres until the body is transfigured into pure spirit. Once in the land of the dead, the author gathers the materials necessary for a return to life - and the horrible choice. Reincarnation or undeath. This book was written in an unknown era early in the Fifth Age (although some scholars believe it was written during the ice age). The original text has never been discovered, but translations into Drychtnothian (two copies still exist), Nyandarian (one copy), Ingaran (two copies), and Khemian (one copy) are known to exist. A copy written in Dark Speech is rumored to exist. One Drychtnothian copy is believed to be held at Akirfa Garmund; the other held at Xethelclerat. The Nyandarian copy was lost during the Mind Flayer invasion and is lost, believed to have been stolen by a mind flayer. One Ingaran copy is held in Alisander, and the other is lost (last known to be held in the hands of a collector in the Ingaran city Zobchiswir). The Khemian copy is known to be owned by the lich Kherit. The rumored Dark Speech translation is believed to be held in the hoard of Xug Thaquaroth, but this is unconfirmed, as the Shadow Dragon does not allow anyone to see his hoard.

Examination Period of the Akirfa Garmund copy: 1d4 weeks (DC 18). Contains the following spells: Apocalypse from the Sky, Rapture of Rapture, Death by Thorns (does not work), Forbidden Speech. Sanity Loss: 1d2 initial and 1d3 upon completion. Cthulhu Mythos: +1 Ranks

Examination Period of the Xethelclerat copy: 1d6 weeks (DC 19). Contains the following spells: Apocalypse from the Sky, Rapture of Rapture, Death by Thorns, Forbidden Speech, Touch of Juiblex. Sanity Loss: 1d3 initial and 1d4 upon completion. Cthulhu Mythos: +1 Ranks

Examination Period of the Nyandaran copy: 1d8 weeks (DC 20). Contains the following spells: Apocalypse from the Sky, Rapture of Rapture, Death by Thorns, Forbidden Speech, Soul's Treasure Lost, Gutwrench. Sanity Loss: 1d4 initial and 1d6 upon completion. Cthulhu Mythos: +2 Ranks

Examination Period of the Alisander copy: 2d4 weeks (DC 21). Contains the following spells: Apocalypse from the Sky, Rapture of Rapture (Does not work), Death by Thorns, Forbidden Speech, Soul's Treasure Lost (Does not work); Also includes instructions for lichdom. Sanity Loss: 1d6 initial and 2d4 upon completion. Cthulhu Mythos: +2 Ranks

Examination Period of the Zobchiswir copy: 1d10 weeks (DC 22). Contains the following spells: Apocalypse from the Sky, Rapture of Rapture, Death by Thorns, Forbidden Speech, Soul's Treasure Lost, Gutwrench, Reincarnation. Sanity Loss: 1d6 initial and 2d6 upon completion. Cthulhu Mythos: +2 Ranks

Examination Period of the Khemian copy: 1d10 weeks (DC 22). Contains the following spells: Apocalypse from the Sky, Rapture of Rapture, Death by Thorns, Forbidden Speech, Soul's Treasure Lost, Gutwrench, Reincarnation; Also includes instructions for lichdom. Sanity Loss: 1d6 initial and 2d6 upon completion. Cthulhu Mythos: +2 Ranks

Examination Period of the Dark Speech copy: 2d6 weeks (DC 30). Contains the following spells: Apocalypse from the Sky, Rapture of Rapture, Death by Thorns, Forbidden Speech, Soul's Treasure Lost, Gutwrench, Reincarnation, Cause Fear, Death Knell, Animate Dead, Death Ward, Slay Living, Create Undead, Destruction, Create Greater Undead, Wail of the Banshee; Also includes instructions for lichdom; Completed Examination grants the Replicate the Divine feat (from Mongoose's Encyclopedia Arcane: Necromancy) as a bonus feat. Note that attempting any of these spells without the Dark Speech feat from The Book of Vile Darkness results in the immediate death of the character. Sanity Loss: 1d10 initial and 2d8 upon completion. Cthulhu Mythos: +4 Ranks