New Submissions
This is always a personal journal. It is often hidden in innocent libraries. It can appear as an ordinary journal or diary from the outside. In the spine or binding there is always a tiny strip of metal that other components and symbols are attached. It is this addition that makes this special… only a master wizard could make such an item without that addition. Inside, it appears as a regular journal or as a blank book. It can show the reader what ever it wants, in terms of text or illustrations (if the person was artistic); sometimes even “sucking the reader in” mentally speaking, so they experience a moment in the person’s life. A pity you can only observe such events from the memory’s point of view.
Embedded in the book is a “MEMORY” a copy of the person at a certain age (usually the age or within a few years of the current age). This memory can show people what it wants, all in an attempt to make them do what it thinks is important (or has been told what is important by its maker).
Of course, if the memory is cunning enough, it can utilize the body of a reader who is “lost in the experience”. Thus it can cause all sorts of mischief. However, it will always be careful as to not to reveal itself. If the person is tired, weak, and not mentally strong enough, the person could be “displaced” by the memory permanently… (trapped in the back of their own head with the memory being in charge).
This is a great item for ensuring that you will be immortal. It is not tied to your soul, so it is independent of any “retirement plan” activities you might take. It will ensure, that sometime in the future, you will live again. So be warry of reading some of the journals in the library’s Special Collection.
December 8, 2005, 14:32
A possible benefit for using the book would also be nice. Why would somebody want to keep reading it if there was nothing to be gained from this. Could some pages have spells in it? What about locations. Is the book intelligent enough to make something up? Is it sentient? I think that there are a lot of questions that are left unanswered.
Also, it needs some backround or history, be it the origins of the book, or an anecdote from somebody who had read this. Not only would that make this submission more presentable, but it would also help to explain the item a little bit better.
Finally, this needs some examples. What possible ends would this book want to see done by the reader. I can start to think of some now, but your presentation is too open ended.
Good idea+No history+bad explaination+needs examples+no plot ideas(optional)+Too vague= 2.0/5.0 (Idea's there, Needs Some Work)
December 8, 2005, 16:45
No spells in it, so it would not be a spell book.
It contains the memory of a person to be dumped into the mind of an unsuspecting reader (if they read enough). It is as intelligent as the evil person was at that time in their life.
Also, it needs some backround or history. It is a class of item, like fireball wand, pillows of sleep, swords of slaying, and so on,
If you want a history, "Some time long, long ago, some evil person discovered they could embed their personality and memories into a book. (A side effect of studying how to bind souls.) These memories could be copied into anyone who read the book. Since then, other evil magic users have made these items bidding for immortality. End of history.
Plot Ideas:
To spell out.
Evil Cultists wanted to live forever, so they made a book to ensure that a copy of themselves would live on.
Evil cultist wanted to torture his foe, so he snuck said book into his foe's daughter's books. Then she would spring forth like a viper, as she would become The Evil Cultist.
Evil Cultist wanted to ensure vengence against those that killed him. Knowing his younger self would seek that person out, he leaves said book in a library just to wait until someone finds it.
January 7, 2006, 23:57
With the explanation of the first comment, which were not completely needed, it is a good post.
January 23, 2006, 2:45
January 23, 2006, 22:57
January 23, 2006, 8:01
I think this post deserves a higher rating than it has recieved thus far because of the initial associate with Harry Potter. People like momentos of their accomplishments.
While the 'Live Forever' aspect does resemble the plot of the Chamber of Secrets, I don't think that is what Moon meant, since he does state that the soul of the Evil Cultist is in no way attached to the book, it is a memory. A weak-willed reader who happens to view the afore mentioned sacrifice and demon submission might be hooked on the emotions of euphoria and power associated with the memory and try to head down the path of evil to create their own exquisite memory.
January 23, 2006, 8:52
I will use it.
Search keyword: Library (So I will find it using the search field)
January 23, 2006, 21:49
January 24, 2006, 4:14
January 24, 2006, 8:14
Also I'm not at all sure where the association with the "Evil Cultist" (itself a terrible cliché if ever I heard one) came from since the item is not, in of itself, "evil" (whatever that means). After all, would you say that writing is evil just because you could use the technique to record a demonic summoning ritual complete with human sacrifice, or that painting is evil just because you use to depict such a scene?
I wander then if this is an example of the disturbing tendency of some otherwise highly creative authors on this site to attach labels of "good" and "evil" to everything in site.
(Yes, I know I've ranted about this before but I'm afraid it's one of my pet hates and I just can't resist.)
As for Memory Book - I must say I like it - a class of item rather than a specific thing - potentially quite powerful but not overly so (depending, of course, on how your preferred magic system works)
Definitely an interesting and useful idea - I think I'll give this 4/5
January 24, 2006, 16:39
The reasons why is it is "associated with the Evil Cultists" is that there books do more than simply let you relieve someone's memory, they embed the personality and memories of the book into you. A fairly selfish and evil act.
Of course, I could see this being done by a law abiding group with a good person's memories, used as a punishment for evil crimes.
March 16, 2009, 23:37
But I haven't read Harry Potter so I can't speak to any of that, but maybe if I do I will have a better understanding of this post.
Here is a plot idea
The book is predatory and needy item. A mage or scribe keeps a journal in it for a few years when they are young and in the throws of passion regarding a lover, a war or political cause. The journal is lost, but the book still longs for the its original author. So the book seeks the author again using people as MH or JKR may have described. At any rate the author has changed their views on things since they were younger. It could have been when they were younger they were racist or in love with somebody else, and have since abandoned those previous passions. But because of the book they are unable to escape their old selves. The books then tries to bring about the goals they had long since abandoned. This could be interesting if the book had belonged to a powerful or respected leader. The leader who is now an agent for peace and wisdom was once violent and dogmatic. The books brings that leader and the PCs in direct conflict with the leader's past. If you could plan ahead this far in campaign it could even be the former journal of a PC that went through an alignment change or went from money grubbing merc to rebel general.
March 17, 2009, 17:25
It could be called an Echo book, or a Binding book, or somesuch.
The Memory book was choosen because it was The Old Name for a Diary.
It is also a pun. In many ways, that is what this is, a book that has captured the memories (and mind created by those memories).
Memories make us who we are in many ways. They form our experiences and shape our responses. Imagine if your memories were "changed". Would you be the same person? Of course not. That is the malicious joy of this kind of item.
March 17, 2009, 17:40
July 17, 2011, 3:31
A vanity form of immortality seems awfully hollow for a cultist. While the 'picture' interpretation of the book is better it seems to relegate the book the land of fluff. What axlerowes proposes turns it into a sort of accidental intelligent magic item that tries to impress its own desires on the reader, and the implications of that are stellar. I can only imagine a posessed reader confronting an older version of the author. "Look at you, you're everything I have strived against!" Certainly a way to test one's convictions.
April 29, 2013, 21:01