The Book of Cooper Duly – Google Docs
The Book of Cooper Duly
Physical Appearance: Originally, this book was a 18th Century treatise on the proper and safe use of copper dust (copper sulfate). It was a slim volume of about 30 pages, indifferently bound from loose sheets, and cheaply covered. However, at some point in the last sixty years it seems to have had, well, evil dripped on it — and now the book is horribly distorted. The cover now says “The Book of Cooper Duly,” and where the leak has spread the pages have become thicker, better quality, and show alterations in the text. The effect is like seeing a paperback swell up after it’s gotten wet, only a bit more organized.
The Book also glows in the dark and unmistakably registers as magical to a naked-eye observer, so there’s that, too.
The horror of this dark tome is not in what it says; it is in what it’s apparently turning into. The rate of decay or transformation or whatever-this-is has been slow, but from what text has been transformed already “Cooper Duly” comes across as a fairly wicked warlock even by the rather strict standards of Regency era England, and his Book is showing every sign of being Duly’s grimoire. There are no spells visible in full, as yet, but from the text that is visible and unfortunately legible it’s unlikely that they’re going to be wholesome in their intent, ritual practice, or ingredient list.
Interestingly, nobody’s ever heard of a ‘Cooper Duly,’ historically speaking. Which doesn’t really reassure the research library that’s been keeping his Book under literal lock and key for the last sixty years. Clearly the book is magical, because it’s transforming itself; possibly when the book is complete, it can will this warlock into existence? Does that even make any sense? Nobody knows, which is why the book is kept well hidden.
Up until the recent Interlibrary Loan incident, that is. Now the team has been called in. They handle this sort of thing, right? — JUST DON’T HANDLE THE BOOK! Use tongs. Trust them on that.
I heartily endorse Inter Library Loan. I’ve gotten some truly unusual items through it – First editions, inscribed copies, and reference editions from the Library of Congress – all without actually asking for such specific copies.