Meaning “secret” in an Elven dialect, the Cilidian is most widely read in dwarf and sapien lands, and well known in the lands of other people. The Cilidian familiar to most is a highly manipulated text adjusted by people over the centuries. Regarded with nigh-religious fervor, most races, nations, and countries have edited and adjusted the Cilidian to support their beliefs and contentions. Throughout history, no one has claimed to have seen, much less read, the original Cilidian, which – according to legend – was written during the Age of Mist. However, there are many among the learned that believe that there are more faithful copies of the Cilidian that tell the true story not only of the creation of Midlorr, but the end of the world. Called the “second-source Cilidians,” these 50 or texts have been scattered across the continent-realm.
The Cilidian addresses the nature of the Cosmos, the gods, and the acts of the earliest Humen. It is the source of the belief in the Great Reckoning, the end of the world. Most importantly, though, the Cilidian identifies that there is something so powerful and grand, that even the gods themselves lust after it: The Godspell. Divided into three parts according to the Cilidian, “the secret” concentrates most its attention on the Seven Spheres, arguably the greatest third of The Godspell. The use or casting of The Godspell will lead to the Great Reckoning, the end of the world. Most modern copies of the Cilidian do not include most, if any, of the material on the Seven Spheres; such associations have long since been turned into children’s nursery rhymes and fairy tales.
There are a number of ways to discern a second-source Cilidian. First, any person – literate or not – can read the text. The material seems to be written in the language of the reader. A second-source Cilidian is divided into seven chapters, or Axes: The Creation and The Godspell, History of the Aulspawn, The Saldrash Wars and the Clash of Spirits, Words of the Aldra, The Creation of Humen, The Nature of Humen, and The Reckoning. Another telling clue of a second source Cilidian is its ability to change its size. It can be as small as a piece of parchment or taller in height than a dwarf. Third, a second-source Cilidian is filled with life-like images that seem to move on the page. The surest means to discern a secondary-source Cilidian is the fact that, on each cover, there are six evenly distanced globes literally revolving around a central, revolving slightly larger globe. To this day, no speaking of The Word has managed to reproduce such a feat. It is generally believed that the true, original Cilidian bears similar features and elements.
The following constitute effects received from reading a second-source Cilidian (a reading of the original is guaranteed to be far more impressive):
• Confer a +1 insight bonus to all Knowledge (Godspell) checks for every day spent reading the Cilidian (see Knowledge (Godspell) for more information on this skill). It typically takes seven days to read the material in its entirety.
• For each day of reading, the reader suffers a 14% chance of being struck temporarily insane from the material in the book. This chance is cumulative, increasing each day by 14%. Every time the victim fails this check, he suffers from a catatonic stupor lasting 2-7 days.
• A complete reading of the Cilidian confers a +2 bonus to the reader’s primary ability score if he manages not to go mad. If the reader is multi-classed with two different primary abilities, the bonus goes to the ability represented by the highest class.
• The knowledge gleaned from the Cilidian is so intense, so maddening, that the mortal mind cannot willingly retain it. After reading a secondary source Cilidian, the reader does not remember any of what was read, the information becoming lost in the subconscious. However, when the reader is confronted with signs of Great Reckoning, deals with a legendary figure (like Seeroth the Dark, a Named One, or some similar persona), views any part of The Godspell, or interacts directly with a god or cosmic entity, the PC must make a Will DC 21 + 1 for each chapter of the Cilidian read (up to +7). Those who fail are struck with a catatonia for seven rounds, and are treated as if stunned. Thereafter, the reader receives a +7 temporary bonus to his primary ability score for fourteen rounds. Once exposed to a specific stimuli (like one specific Sphere, a specific god, a specific personality, etc), the victim never has to roll against this “curse” again.
