Book of Iod
The tome Book of Iod is statted out in the Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition Rulebook, and originates in Henry Kuttner's "The Bells of Horror (fiction)" and was then expanded upon by Lin Carter and Robert M. Price.
Description
The Book of Iod is a grimoire relating to Iod and its worship, possibly from the planet Bel Yarnak. Its most famous form is a scramble of Greek and Coptic. This text was translated into English at least once, by Johann Nergus, who rigorously excised many fearful matters he deemed mankind better off unaware of, and this is the only version of the text publicly known of, the single copy being held in the Huntington Library of California. An incomplete copy of the Nergus text was made by a man called Denton; one source claims this was recast into a Gnostic work of some kind.
Prehistoric Version
- author: (unknown)
- date: (unknown, prehistoric)
- language: (unknown, prehistoric)
- number of known copies (if rare): (unknown, probably unique)
- last known location of surviving copies (if rare): (unknown, presumed lost)
- study: 51 weeks
Mythos Content
- sanity loss: moderate-heavy
- mythos lore: moderate
- occult lore: ?
- spells: ?
Greco-Coptic Version
- author: (unknown)
- date: (unknown, but the trnslation is centuries or thousands of years old)
- language: a scramble of Greek and Coptic
- number of known copies (if rare): (unknown, probably unique)
- last known location of surviving copies (if rare): (Huntington Library of California)
- study: 40 weeks
- sanity loss: moderate
- mythos lore: moderate
- occult lore: ?
- spells: ?
Nergus English Version
- author: (unknown)
- date: (unknown, modern, translated by Johann Nergus)
- language: English
- number of known copies (if rare): (unknown, probably unique)
- last known location of surviving copies (if rare): (Huntington Library of California)
- study: 40 weeks
- sanity loss: moderate
- mythos lore: moderate
- occult lore: ?
- spells: ?
Denton English Version
- author: (unknown, modified by "Denton")
- date: (unknown; imperfect copy of Denton text, heavily modified with Gnostic idioms by "Denton")
- language: English
- number of known copies (if rare): (unknown, probably unique)
- last known location of surviving copies (if rare): (Huntington Library of California)
- study: 45 weeks
- sanity loss: minor-moderate
- mythos lore: minor
- occult lore: minimal (focusing on Gnostic mysticism)
- spells: ?
Associated Mythos Elements
Quotes
The Dark Silent One dwelleth deep beneath the earth on the shore of the Western Ocean. Not one of those potent Old Ones from hidden worlds and other stars is He, for in earth’s hidden blackness He hath always dwelt. No name hath He, for He is the ultimate doom and the undying emptiness and silence of Old Night. When earth is dead and lifeless and the stars pass into blackness, He will rise again and spread His dominion over all. For He hath naught to do with life and sunlight, but loveth the blackness and the eternal silence of the abyss. Yet can He be called to earth's surface before His time, and the brown ones who dwell on the shore of the Western Ocean have power to do this by ancient spells and certain deep-toned sounds which reach His dwelling-place far below. But there is great danger in such a summoning, lest He spread death and night before His time. For He bringeth darkness within the day, and blackness within the light; all life, all sound, all movement passeth away at His coming. He cometh sometimes within the eclipse, and although He hath no name, the brown ones know Him as Zushakon.
-Henry Kuttner, "The Bells of Horror (fiction)"
To eternal life are none but fools disposed.
The wise thirst instead for oblivion’s repose.
Against the shambling foe it shall keep vigil.
The slumber of the tomb shall be thy rest,
A shield for thee from the unwelcome guest.
If thy clay recline beneath the Elder Sigil,
Appearances
- fiction: Henry Kuttner's "The Bells of Horror (fiction)"
- fiction: Robert M. Price's "Beneath the Tombstone (fiction)"
- sourcebook: Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition Rulebook
