Full Version: The Books of Harrow
For those that know a lot about Earthdawn, and its links to Shadowrun, what do you believe happened to the Books of Harrow? Are they present in the Sixth World? Could someone have them and be using them? Could this be how Darke found out all the stuff he shouldn't know?
Now there's an interesting, and unsettling point.
Question: Books of Harrow?
The books of Harrow were a set of tomes in Earthdawn that foretold the coming of the horrors before the scourge. Reading them resulted in eventual insanity and other extremely bad things.
I ran a campaign a few years back where my players worked for Aztechnology. They went from site to site finding different artifacts, doing assassinations and other assorted tasks. Each task dealt with something from the 4th world, and many of them pointed to the existence a magical civilization (Earthdawn).
As time went on they became more aware of what it was they were uncovering. Eventually they found the books of Harrow in Chicago of all places. Deciding what to do with them split the party, and they ended up killing each other over them. One side wanted to return them to the Azzies while the other wanted to share them with the world and thus prepare it for the next scourge.
I ran a campaign a few years back where my players worked for Aztechnology. They went from site to site finding different artifacts, doing assassinations and other assorted tasks. Each task dealt with something from the 4th world, and many of them pointed to the existence a magical civilization (Earthdawn).
As time went on they became more aware of what it was they were uncovering. Eventually they found the books of Harrow in Chicago of all places. Deciding what to do with them split the party, and they ended up killing each other over them. One side wanted to return them to the Azzies while the other wanted to share them with the world and thus prepare it for the next scourge.
In my present game one of the players contacts has a copy of the Necronomicaon, which is actually one of the Books of Harrow that has had text added. This extra text is in english (or what ever language the reader reads) and details certain rituals. The contact has used the book to raise his sister from the dead (Master Shedim) and ward his shop even though he is mundane.
hmm, there are some boxes that a dragon wanted destroyed, aztech shows signs of either haveing or had access to some sort of info. the tir(s) may have (alltho that could just be IE's remebering stuff) to many options, and then im not even starting on the real conspiracy stuff (iluminati andso on 
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That would be these boxes from the will:
| QUOTE |
To George "Locomotive" Fenamore, wherever he is at present, I sadly bequeath the locked steel box number 412 from my private vault at the Manhattan Citibank Depository. The box is not to be opened until he deems it absolutely necessary, or until my comrade manages to successfully "survive" another Double Tuesday. I pray the darkness ends for you someday. To the executor of my will, Nadja Daviar, I grant full disposition of the other fifteen boxes marked for George Fenamore, or his descendants, should any of them ever ask. If not, upon your own demise, they are to be summarily destroyed UNOPENED in the main microwave blast furnace of Bethlehem Steel, Pa. To Bethlehem Steel, I leave 2 million nuyen for the purpose of the immediate destruction of fifteen steel boxes, UNOPENED, when and if they are delivered to the main furnace crew boss, and the additional amount of 500,000 nuyen to the crew boss as danger money to be distributed to his crew in the event of injuries resulting from this task. If the task is accomplished without mishap, the crew boss may keep the full amount or disburse it as he wishes. |
The question then becomes, who is "Locomotive"? And why would he be entrusted with the Books (if that is indeed what's in the boxes)? Also, Big D seems to think that Nadja is capable of using the contents of the other boxes, if necessary... and no one else is.
Also, which 'comrade' was D referring to in the first paragraph? Double Tuesday? Apparently, if this person survives that event, it becomes necessary for "Locomotive" to open the box and use its contents.
Bethlehem Steel! I can look out my office window and see the old Bethlehem steel plants now. Unfortunately for the Big "D," Bethlehem Steal is now out of business ..... so much for it all coming true 
-- Dashifen --
I sort of expected someone using the handle "Arab One" to call the Necronomicon "the Kitab al-Azif." 
Which reminds me!
| QUOTE |
To Dr. Alan Gordon, I leave my First Folio edition of Al Azif. Use it well, when and if you must. |
Ahh, yes, the Necronomicon. Of course, this book is a fiction, created by H. P. Lovecraft for one of his short-stories. However, anything goes in Shadowrun.
Also, Necronomicon was the Latin name for the Greek translation of the texts. According to Call of Cthulu d20:| QUOTE |
Al Azif. In Arabic, by Abd al-Azrad, c. A.D. 730. Original form is unknown, but numerous manuscript versions were long circulated among medieval scholars. As early as the 12th century, this version was referred to as lost. Necronomicon. In Greek, trans. by Theodoras Philetas, A. D. 950. Early handwritten copies are unkown. In 1501, mass printing in Italy in a folio-size edition led to religious suppression. Last known copy was burned in Salem, 1692. Necronomicon. In Latin, trans by Olaus Wormius, A. D. 1228. First circulated in manuscript form, then printed in Germany (late 15th century) as a black-letter folio. A second, nearly identical edition was published in Spain in the arly 17th century. One copy of the former edition and four copies of the latter are known to exist. |
From the description, it sounds as if the Big D either had one of the original Greek folio translations, or a first-printing from Germany. I'm guessing the former, as it should be a unique copy, and as close as anyone can come to the original, without having the Arabic manuscripts.
Note that the CoC RPG tries its best to stick to Lovecraft's works, as well as those inspired by him, but I doubt anything was quite this detailed in dates & such. I'll go through my books to see what I can dig up...
| QUOTE (Dashifen) |
| Bethlehem Steel! I can look out my office window and see the old Bethlehem steel plants now. Unfortunately for the Big "D," Bethlehem Steal is now out of business ..... so much for it all coming true -- Dashifen -- |
Notice he said, "microwave blast furnaces." Considering those haven't been invented yet, sounds like someone bought out the plants and company, then installed new equipment... er will install... wioll haven been installed...
*ahem*Roggoth'shoth
'nuff said.
'nuff said.
I figured the Heavenherds took them off to Azania.
| QUOTE (Ancient History) |
| *ahem*Roggoth'shoth 'nuff said. |
Which novel was that in again?
As I recall, 'twas "Who Hunts the Hunter"
Roggoth'Shoth?
I've never read Who hunts the Hunter as SR books are pretty hard to come by over here (There are a few but its complete randomness as to which ones they will be).
Who is Roggoth'Shoth and how does he relate to the Books of Harrow (if at all)?
I've never read Who hunts the Hunter as SR books are pretty hard to come by over here (There are a few but its complete randomness as to which ones they will be).
Who is Roggoth'Shoth and how does he relate to the Books of Harrow (if at all)?
I think that's the name of some creature from one of Lovecraft's tales.
Having just checked AH's site (Like I should have done to start with) it turns out it's the name of a book. What did the book do in the novel?
Ah, it did describe an impending apocalpse-type situation by entities from the far distant netherworlds or some such. Oh, and it let him make an essence-stelaing undead horde. Very Lovecraftian, vaguely Books of Harrow. Nice old guy burned it.
| QUOTE (Ancient History) |
| Ah, it did describe an impending apocalpse-type situation by entities from the far distant netherworlds or some such. Oh, and it let him make an essence-stelaing undead horde. Very Lovecraftian, vaguely Books of Harrow. Nice old guy burned it. |
Okay, that sounds alot like what I am doing with the Book of Harrow currently in my game. Could the book have survived the burning, or merely been a copy of the original?
| QUOTE (Arab_One) |
| Could the book have survived the burning, or merely been a copy of the original? |
Regenerating using the Essence of those the Book consumed through the ages, the lost pages, scattered across the globe by Fire and Wind, are collecting themeselves. The runners are pawns of far reaching forces in a race against knowledge between those who would destroy the past, and those who will destroy the future...
On 'Trix Feeds Everywhere!
Ancient magical works have a talant for surviving, like the Arc of the Covenant. That might be why D went to such details on how to destroy the boxes, unopened, to prevent the viewers from being tempted by them. The danger pay, which we all thought might come from what'si n the box itself, might be for avoiding a shadowrun from people trying to get the boxes back.
By George I think we've got it!
By George I think we've got it!
| QUOTE (Arab_One) |
| Could the book have survived the burning, or merely been a copy of the original? |
In Earthdawn wasn't there something baout Major Pattern Items actually recreating themselves if their physical form is destroyed? If so, this could be a perfect example of it occurring.
Better be careful though. Anyone actually using the book sets off the "Summon Ash" Spell anchored to it. 
Chainsword cyberhand and obsolete shotgun? Puh-leeze.
Doesn't even have any boost ware. He'll be some troll sammy's date to the prom.
Doesn't even have any boost ware. He'll be some troll sammy's date to the prom.
There's only one problem, with this very excellent theory.
There is another reference to a box that must be burned, unopened. It's mentioned in the opening to the original Harlequin adventure:
There is another reference to a box that must be burned, unopened. It's mentioned in the opening to the original Harlequin adventure:
| QUOTE |
| My master's sword came clear and he held it vertica before him. Without turning, he spoke to me softly so that his opponent would not hear him. "Andre, if I fail here, I ask that you burn the small black chest beneath my bed. Do so without opening it." |
While it's possible Ehran had one of the Books of Harrow, it seems more likely that it's some other major pattern item that him and Dunkie had obtained. Dunkelzahn, being longer-lived, had a few more of them.
You both realize that there could have been absolutely anything in either of those boxes? I mean, a major pattern item is fairly damn useless after the person whom it was tied to dies. Well, at least in this Age.
could the orichalcum plated book in Threats 2 be one of the books?
The Book of Gaf? First of all, ye should not that it's not orichalcum plated...the pages are actually beaten sheets of orichalcum. I'd say no, but only because the Aleph Society and Gaf do not seem to operate the way the Horrors do.
At best, some of it's lore may be derived from the Books of Harrow. Keep in mind that the Books of Harrow were not the be-all, end-all tomes of lore on the Horrors. It took centuries of research to derive even the Rites of Protection and Passage from them.
At best, some of it's lore may be derived from the Books of Harrow. Keep in mind that the Books of Harrow were not the be-all, end-all tomes of lore on the Horrors. It took centuries of research to derive even the Rites of Protection and Passage from them.
I do like the idea thought that the books were in those boxes. we've all wondered what was in the boxes that would be so dangerous that there would be danger money for handling them, but it makes sense if the danger money is becasue some people might do anythnig to get what's in the boxes.
Me thinks Ehran's chest included his personal diary.
The last time that we "know" where they are in the Great Library of Thera. Its possible the Heavenherds could have saved them before the destruction of Thera (aka Atlantis). In a redux of an earlier campaign, my current party will eventually need to find the Book of Harrow. Of course, they'll have to fight the Atlantean Foundation, the Horrors, etc. in order to save the world. I haven't really thought out where the Books would be (I was leaning in a cave in Greece).
"The Eternal Library"
Other possible locations include the Great Library of Throal, the Doomed Library of Kanard, the caverns near the monastery of Mynbruje where the books were first found, and a few extra caches of millenia-old texts that the Therans found.
As a note, the Books of Harrow are hexagonal in shape, a four-volume set, and penned early in the Age of Legend (way early. Like, if you moved the Sixth World back about 10,000 years) describing certain things during the Age of Dragons.
Unfortunately, books about the Horrors tend to connect to them, which means if you read 'em you may end up like poor 'ol Messias.
Other possible locations include the Great Library of Throal, the Doomed Library of Kanard, the caverns near the monastery of Mynbruje where the books were first found, and a few extra caches of millenia-old texts that the Therans found.
As a note, the Books of Harrow are hexagonal in shape, a four-volume set, and penned early in the Age of Legend (way early. Like, if you moved the Sixth World back about 10,000 years) describing certain things during the Age of Dragons.
Unfortunately, books about the Horrors tend to connect to them, which means if you read 'em you may end up like poor 'ol Messias.
I'd say there's a good chance that Ehran's box contained a copy or a volume from the Book of Harrows, being how literary-minded the old elf is...
The Abstruse One
The Abstruse One
Why would Ehran the Scribe store a Book of Harrow under his bed?
What adventures as printed by FASA and others dealt with the horrors? I never got them and am trying to back track.
Check out my "SR/ED" connections page, the 7300's.
Holy crap.
Thanks guys. Now I'll never get any work done as I try to add Call of Cthulu and GURPS Cthulu Punk to my campaign. The idea had been floating around in my head, but the discussion here solidified it for me.
The Horrors and The Old Ones are the same, and Lovecraft was simply writing and publishing tales told to him by his old army buddy Arron Lightener.
Thanks guys. Now I'll never get any work done as I try to add Call of Cthulu and GURPS Cthulu Punk to my campaign. The idea had been floating around in my head, but the discussion here solidified it for me.
The Horrors and The Old Ones are the same, and Lovecraft was simply writing and publishing tales told to him by his old army buddy Arron Lightener.
Book of Harrow, sounds like something taken from Deadlands even thou it comes from Earthdawn.
| QUOTE (Dogsoup) |
| Why would Ehran the Scribe store a Book of Harrow under his bed? |
Arrogance?
-Siege
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