Codex Noctium of Vilangril

The Codex Noctium of Vilangril is one of three least disputed historic copies of the Codex Noctium. It is generally considered the most complete. The codex is kept at the Library of the Scloyvan Archguild School in Scloye where it is available for scholars with credentials for a standard fee.

The Codex is partly an official biography of Prince Ulcanov of the Shattered Waters, and partly a series of annals of his reign. It uses neither the Arathracian Calendar nor the Calendar of the Common Year, but regularly dates years as simply "in year such and such of his reign." This makes 2119 AI the 'year one' of the text. It ends in the year 2273. It is not certain whether this is the actual end of the original account. It is possible that the original account continued into the beginning of the Fifth Isbajath and that the source of the Codex Noctium of Vilangril dates a few years before that time or that the latest portion was simply not included by the copyist.

Scholars find the voice of the record falls into six styles and for this reason it is believed there was a succession of six historians, although the writer never identifies himself in the first person.

There are numerous gaps in the annals and it is open to debate whether these are intentional omissions of the copyist or were simply lacking in the original volume.

Lay of Lygdamion

Towards the end of the annals, there is inserted the 'Lay of Lygdamion,' a hieratic text of chaos worship. The presence of this little text has spurred considerable debate among specialists. Some argue it is purely an interpolation of the original copyist and others believe it was an essential component of the original text, deposited in the work as a dedication to the chaos god Lygdamion.

Discovery of the Codex

The discovery of the codex is dated to 2519 when an Aurician treasure-seeker retrieved the tome from an exploration of the fallen city of Vilangril. He attempted to sell the tome but could not find a suitable buyer. After his death, his family acquired the book and sold it at auction in Aurice in 2561 to a private collector who in turn, to discharge his debts, sold the book to the Scloyvan Archguild School for a large sum that drew much criticism.

See Also

• Codex Noctium