That is not alive which can eternally wither.
And with strange aeons even life may come hither.
The Parthenogenicon, or the Book of the Living, is a grimoire of arcane magics and forbidden theorems. It originated by the hands of the so-called 'Mad Botanist' Ynneon Nabreus eight centuries ago. Contained within the terrible and forbidden book were alchemic formulae, sorceress incantations, and insights pertaining to what Ynneon espoused was 'true life', a state of birth and natural selection that blossomed by the warmth of the sun and the heat of passion and desires. Having spent little under three centuries performing experiments on the indigenous undead, Ynneon had succeeded in returning true life to a zombie.
While rejoicing at his discovery, this act had both marked the pinnacle of his craft and doomed the apothecary simultaneously. True life had been ruled a myth by the high lords of S'vara and faced with objective proof of it's existence, Amaybeth and his minions iron rule might be questioned. Ynneon was condemned an apostate to his homeland and sentenced to true death. While Ynneon suffered, his legacy continued on as his damned works had been passed on, secreted away by his faithful pupils.
In order to protect the grimoire from discovery and ultimately destruction by the blight lords of S'vara, Ynneon's pupils made multiple false copies. Each contained but a fourth of the original's contents. The only original was decided to be kept in secrecy and safe-guarded by what would later become known as the Half-Life Society. The false grimoires meanwhile were passed down to those who sought to master the art of true life. Each became distinct, added by others, and ultimately became the core of strange abominations.
While rejoicing at his discovery, this act had both marked the pinnacle of his craft and doomed the apothecary simultaneously. True life had been ruled a myth by the high lords of S'vara and faced with objective proof of it's existence, Amaybeth and his minions iron rule might be questioned. Ynneon was condemned an apostate to his homeland and sentenced to true death. While Ynneon suffered, his legacy continued on as his damned works had been passed on, secreted away by his faithful pupils.
In order to protect the grimoire from discovery and ultimately destruction by the blight lords of S'vara, Ynneon's pupils made multiple false copies. Each contained but a fourth of the original's contents. The only original was decided to be kept in secrecy and safe-guarded by what would later become known as the Half-Life Society. The false grimoires meanwhile were passed down to those who sought to master the art of true life. Each became distinct, added by others, and ultimately became the core of strange abominations.
The Parthenogenicon Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Local History) can research the Parthenogenicon to learn more about it. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
DC 20: The Parthenogenicon is a forbidden grimoire that was once banned by Amaybeth and his blight lords and decried a myth. However, were it a myth, it's possession being outlawed would not make sense.
DC 25: The Parthenogenicon is rumored to hold the key to restoring true life - a state of existence where life blossoms naturally, specimens regenerate flesh and requires nourishment.
DC 30: Several false copies of the grimoire exist. Each has been expanded by ideological descendants of the mad botanist Ynneon Nabreus. Many unnatural phenomena can be traced to the existence of one of these books; most famous examples is the existence of the 'Half-Dead' and the 'Curse of Flesh'.
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