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Turin Area Libraries and Archives

These titles were actually signalled in the Turin Royal Library. MANOSCRITTO TIBETANO (Tibetan Manuscript) Author - presumed, the fifth Dalai Lama Original Title - ? Format - 232 pages, 75x25 cm, written on both sides with black and gold ink. Cover in wood, with incisions. Language - ancient tibetan (?) Publication facts - unique copy dating from the second half of the 17th century Structure - 25 chapters. The first page of each closes with the phrase "Sealed with the emblem of the wheel, of the key, of the hearth of the rdo-rje". Contents - presumed, biography of the Fifth Lama, compiled between 1647 and 1680. Note - the book is locked in an ancient closet, in the wing of the Royal Library closed to the public. Reading data -1d6/-2d6 sanity; +9 Cthulhu Mythos; x2 spell; 56 weeks Grants a check on the Occult Skill Includes extensive informations on the Plain of Leng and its denizens. Spells: Elder Sign. MANOSCRITTO DI ALBERTO MAGNO Author - Alberto Magno Original Title - "de le virtù delherbe animali et pietre preciose e di molte meravigliose cose del mondo" (about the virtues of plants, animals and rocks and of many wondrous things of the world) Format - described as a "libretto a stampa" (printed booklet), probably in octavo (about 25x11 cm) Language - ancient italian. Publication facts - part of a printed series, dating around 1500. Structure - unknown Contents - various general utility formulas ( a liquid that glows in the dark, a truth serum, various medications) Note - being a printed book, we can presume that an unknown number of copies existed and possibly still exists. The name "Manuscript" is clearly erroneous. Reading Data: -1 Sanity; +1 Cthulu Mythos; x1 Spell; 3 weeks Grants 1 check on the Occult Skill and one for Treat Poison/Desease or Medicine Spells: various non-Mythos spells (Keeper Choice) and one single Mythos spell (Create Powder of Ibn Ghazi) COMPENDIO ENCICLOPEDICO (Encyclopaedical Compendium) Author - presumed, Abdul Azif Originale Title - K'tab al Azif Format - a single large format volume, on parchment, possibly bound in human hide. Language - arab Publication data - hand written copy, dating back to 1600 Structure - unknown Contents - a treatise in necromancy and astrology . Note - this book was really signalled as part of the Royal Library by the end of the 1970s, in an article that did not exclude the hipothesis it really was the Necronomicon. Such informations, coming from a notoriously unreliable source, are in this case taken as correct for the sake of the game. As the book is in the wing of the Library that is closed to the public, and not having a catalogue number (according to the above mentioned source), it seems extremely unlikely for a group of players to hear about this forgotten copy of the Al Azif. Reading Data: -1d10/1d20 sanity; +18 Cthulhu Mythos; x5 Spell; 72 weeks See the Necrnomicon Entry in the Call of Cthulhu Rulesbook. LIBER POTESTATE Author - presumed, Ermete Trismegisto Original Title - "Liber de Potestate ed Sapientia Dei" (Book about the power and wisdom of god) Format - large format incunabulus, with miniatures on parchment. Language - latin (translation from the Greek original by Alberto Ficino) Publication Data - single copy produced by order of the Medici family. One of the 42 volumes completing the "Tavole Smeraldine" (Emerald tablets) by Ermete Trismegisto. Structure - unknown Contents - extensive coverage of the Egyptian gods and spirits, with particular reference to Thot and Anubis; Note - being a transcript of the Egyptian magic tradition, its presence in Turin is particularly appropriate. Reading Data -1d6/2d6 sanity; +8 Cthulhu Mythos; spell x5; 50 weeks Extensive informations about Nyarlathotep and its cults, scattered through the text. Grants a check on the Occult skill. Spells: only Contact spells. TAROCCHI DI MITELLI (Mitelli Tarot) Author - ? Original Title - Tarocchi Format - deck of 63 large format cards, illustrated by Mitelli di Bologna Language - N/A Publication data - unique copy, dating around 1600 Structure - a deck of cards Contents - presumed, transcription of the "Tables of Knowledge" created by the god Thot and by him given to Man so he could divine the destiny of the world. Note - another link with Egypt and the esotheric traditions. Players will surely notice that a proper Tarot deck has 78 cards, not 63. Reading data A successful Cthulhu Mythos check allows the player to connect the cards with the Myhos. In this case: - 1d3/1d6 sanity; +4 Cthulhu Mythos; no spells; a few hours If the check fails, no awards and no penalties. LIBER IVONIS Author - Caius Philippus Faber (800-900 d.C.) Original Title - idem Format - quarto manuscript, over 500 pages. According to Clark Ashton Smith it is bound in leather with steel studs. Language - latin Publication Data - manuscript dating around the XI century; one of the original six copies. Structure - an unknown number of chapters Contents - Hyperborea, history, legend and religion of the lost continent. Tsathoggua his formless spawn , Azathot, the serpent people, Abhoth, Atlach-Nacha, Ubbo-sathla, Hastur, and others. Note - this is presumed to be the most ancient version available of the Hyperborean book; six copies are known in the Western World. Once again, the sighting comes from a totally untrustworthy source. Reading Data -1d4/-2d4 sanity; +13 Cthulhu Mythos; x2 spell; 36 weeks Grants one chek to the Occult Skill and one to the Astronomy skill. Spells: all the chief contact spell for the gods covered.

 In Turin, it's not just a matter of making a Library Use Roll.

You have to know where to make it....

Here, we'll cover about 20% of the total number of Libraries in the Turin area.

Archivio Storico della Città di Torino - about 19.000 books covering local art and history, art and administration, plus the forme collections of the Omeopathic Hospital and of the Charity Hospital.

Biblioteca Antica degli Archivi dell'Ordine Mauriziano - founded in the mid-19th century, with the function of entertaining the guests of the Order.

Biblioteca Civica Centrale - founded 1869, holds a total of 450.000 volumes (XV-XX century) and 30.000 manuscripts. Includes the former library of Count Cavour and various special collections including one covering local history.

Biblioteca Culture e Missioni, Istituto Superiore Missioni Consolata - the Missionary library was founded in 1901 and collects about 200.000 books, of which 30.000 anthropology works; other collections include ethnography, foreign culture and theology.

Biblioteca del Conservatorio Statale di Musica Giuseppe Verdi -founded 1867; 3000 manuscripts and 15.000 volumes on musical subjects.

Biblioteca del Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano - founded 1878, 100.000 books and pamphlets dating from the 19th century; includes a prints collection (10.000 prints of maps, portraits and sketches) and a photo archive (5000 daguerrotipes).

Biblioteca del Seminario Arcivescovile - theology and philosophy collection attached to the Turin Seminar, with a small collection on local history; a total of 500 manuscripts and about 130.000 books (XV-XX century) are available.

Biblioteca della Scuola di Applicazione - founded 1739, as part of the Royal Schools of Artillery and Military Engeneering, about 100.000 volumes, manuscripts, maps covering military sciences, artillery, strategy, geography and history.

Biblioteca dell'Accademia delle Scienze - part of the Sciences Academy, founded 1757; hosed in the same building of the Egyptian Museum, it includes 200.000 books and pamphlets of scientific subject from 1700 to the present.

Biblioteca dell'Accademia di Medicina - founded 1836, destroyed in an air raid in 1943; in 1893 it included 40.000 volumes of medical subjects and a complete collection of medical periodicals (40 italian titles, 65 international).

Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria - founded 1720; 850.000 volumes. Special collections include 3700 manuscripts, 1600 incunabula, 10.000 "cinquecentine", 15.000 sketches and prints, 5.000 maps.

Biblioteca Provinciali dei Frati Minori Cappuccini - founded 1596; 53 manuscripts and 55.000 volumes covering theology, franciscan history and local history.

Biblioteca Reale - founded in the mid 19th century by Royal Decree, it collects 185.000 volumes on history, military sciences, heraldry and various special collections. See sidebar.

Università degli Studi - each faculty and school has its own library of dedicated volumes and papers. Ditto for the Turin Politechnic

This should keep investigators busy for a while...

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