Book of the Darned

The Book of the Darned: Death and Rebirth of a Sun, shortened to just Book of the Darned, is a concept in Magical Starsign. Written by the late Craaken, it contains information about the universe and its fate.

History

The Book of the Darned was authored at least 12,800 years ago by Craaken, an archmagician of the yogart guru tribe on Erd, after the collapse of the Espresso civilization. It was written in an arcane language that very few could comprehend, but contained esoteric knowledge and explored all kinds of topics about the universe. Most notably, it predicted that the universe would be destroyed by Shadra, a giant larva who lived on the planet Shadra inside the sun. Once Shadra metamorphosed by consuming enough magical gummies, she would devour the sun and destroy the universe, then birth a new sun and universe.

Other topics included etherealization, the process by which matter is temporarily reduced to a basic form of light; the Stone Stage, a device in Shishkebab Cavern that used planetary energy to open a gate to the sun; and the possibility of the Espressos' robots taking over Baklava, using the masses of gummified humans in Kahve Ruins as a power source. To preserve his knowledge, Craaken kept multiple copies of the book at his personal institution, Ambergris Preparatory School on Cassia, where it was used as a standard textbook for generations.

Around 800 years before Magical Starsign, Miss Madeleine enrolled in Ambergris Prep and spent centuries studying, translating, and annotating the Book of the Darned. However, around 500 to 600 years later, rumors spread that the Book of the Darned was cursed and killed anyone who read it. Most copies were burned and Craaken was crucified, but to his disciples, he gave up his own life in order to save many people. At some point, the remaining book was used by Grenadine to manufacture advanced technology in Condimen Tower, such as impenetrable armor for the Space Police and a work-in-progress etherealization machine. It was then acquired by Kale, who sought to fulfill Craaken's prophecy of the apocalypse and destroy the incompetent people of Baklava, and stored in his laboratory in Bena Rikashi.

Magical Starsign

While the students of Will-o'-Wisp Academy were in Bena Rikashi, they were unsuccessful in filing Miss Madeleine as a missing person at the Space Police HQ. Outside, they were met by Parfait, who invited them to Kale's laboratory under the guise that it was her house. They helped her find the Book of the Darned, but she warned them about its supposed curse. Parfait also mentioned Madeleine in passing, but before the group could question her, she fled Kale's lab with the book.

Later on, the students met Parfait on the way to Ambergris Prep. In the school's library, she presented the Book of the Darned and talked about Madeleine's extensive study of its contents. After the students reclaimed the water millennium gummy from Holy Water Pyramid, Sturgeon apprised them of Madeleine's time at Ambergris Prep and the Book of the Darned's controversial history. Sorbet, curious of what prophecies were written in the book, snuck into the library while her classmates were asleep and began reading it.

Nomenclature

The Book of the Darned is likely lifted from H.P. Lovecraft's Necronomicon, also known as the Book of the Dead, a recurring item in his fictional works.

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ミソニコミドン魔導書 Misonikomidon Madōsho ミソニコミドン魔導書・太陽の死と復活の章 Misonikomidon Madōsho・Taiyō no Shi to Fukkatsu no Shō	Misonikomidon Grimoire, from 味噌煮込みうどん miso-nikomi udon (noodles simmered in red miso) Misonikomidon Grimoire・Chapter on the Sun's Death and Resurrection
English	Book of the Darned Book of the Darned: Death and Rebirth of a Sun