Scrolls of Skelos

Into the west, unknown of man,
Ships have sailed since the world began.
Read, if you dare, what Skelos wrote,
With dead hands fumbling his silken coat;
And follow the ships through the wind-blown wrack –
Follow the ships that come not back.

Used by the Cult of Dagon in the Temple of Dagon as essential to their liturgy and dark rituals.

Similar to the Necronomicon.

The Original

The original words of Dagon were written on the walls of the Seat of Divine Communication in the The Temple of Forgotten Kings, in the Lost City of Zor-Kela.

Scrolls of Skelos vs Book of Skelos

There is but one Book of Skelos. The Scrolls of Skelos are copies of parts of the book, necessary for a Cult of Dagon to function. Only a high priest of Dagon can safely copy from the Book of Skelos or from another priests copy of the Scrolls of Skelos. To start a new Cult of Dagon requires a new copy of the Scrolls of Skelos.

Errors and Catastrophes

Copying a priests Scrolls of Skelos is a sign a high priest is attempting to divide a cult and start a new branch. This is usually unacceptable, except for times of expansion. Therefore, high priests will intentionally mis-copy key portions of their Scrolls of Skelos to sabotage a high priest attempted to divide the cult. This goes on for many generations of copies, to where a copy of a priests Scrolls of Skelos has nearly as many annotations in the margins as the original text. Those annotations are corrections as well as coded reminders to not use the original copy as transcribed. It's fairly common for a Cult of Dagon to have entire rituals that simply don't work as written, rituals that have awful but acceptable side effects because of transcription issues, or rituals that work but have a chance of being catastrophic (nearly all rituals at this stage).

How is it that a priest of Mitra knows of the Heart of Ahriman, and the incantations of Skelos?”

I journeyed in Zamora, in Vendhya, in Stygia, and among the haunted jungles of Khitai. I read the iron-bound books of Skelos, and talked with unseen creatures in deep wells, and faceless shapes in black reeking jungles.

Price

The price of the Scrolls of Skelos is highly variable, based on the quality of the copy, the number of functional spells it contains, and the potential side effects of its corruptions.

Base Price (Uncorrupted Copy): 18,000 gp
Corrupted Copy (Common on the Black Market): 8,000–12,000 gp
Pristine Copy (Extremely Rare): 25,000 gp or more

The Scrolls of Skelos, copies of the dreaded and cryptic Book of Skelos, are replete with dark arcana and eldritch invocations that resonate with the ancient cultic rites of Dagon. Below is an array of 10 spells, twisted and darkly thematic, that would be commonly found in these scrolls. These spells are likely to enhance the cult's liturgy and ritualistic power, as well as their ability to influence and control their surroundings.

Array of Spells Found in the Scrolls of Skelos

Summon Greater Demon (4th-level conjuration)
- Why: The Scrolls often deal with invoking and binding otherworldly entities. This spell is perfect for summoning demonic servitors of Dagon or creatures from the abyssal depths.
Control Water (4th-level transmutation)
- Why: Essential for a sea-oriented cult, this spell allows the manipulation of tides and currents, useful for both ritualistic invocations and practical maritime domination.
Wall of Water (3rd-level evocation)
- Why: Protecting sacred rituals from intrusion or obscuring the cult’s workings with impenetrable barriers of churning water is a vital tool in their arsenal.
Maelstrom (5th-level evocation)
- Why: Representing Dagon’s wrath, this spell creates a whirlpool of destruction, often used ceremonially to "cleanse" heretics or as a literal manifestation of the cult’s power over the seas.
Contagion (5th-level necromancy)
- Why: Disease and decay are common themes among the cult’s punishments and blessings. This spell curses enemies or enacts the will of Dagon on nonbelievers.
Evard’s Black Tentacles (4th-level conjuration)
- Why: Evocative of the grasping horrors of the deep, this spell is favored in rituals that involve summoning aspects of Dagon or defending cultists from intruders.
Dream (5th-level illusion)
- Why: This spell allows high priests to infiltrate the dreams of initiates or enemies, spreading the influence of Dagon and delivering his cryptic commands.
Planar Binding (5th-level abjuration)
- Why: The cult’s ties to abyssal and aquatic planes necessitate the ability to bind summoned beings to their service. This spell reinforces the cult’s control over the forces they invoke.
Contact Other Plane (5th-level divination)
- Why: Communication with Dagon or other eldritch entities is a cornerstone of the cult's rituals. This spell is indispensable for divine guidance—or eldritch madness.
Abi-Dalzim’s Horrid Wilting (8th-level necromancy)
- Why: For catastrophic rituals, this spell embodies the wrath of Dagon, draining the life from all nearby and leaving a salt-laden wasteland in its wake.

Cultural and Ritual Use

These spells are often used ceremonially, with specific incantations and material components that might vary between branches of the cult due to transcription errors.
Some, such as Control Water or Dream, are staples of daily operations, while others like Abi-Dalzim’s Horrid Wilting are reserved for grand rituals of destruction or sacrifice.

Annotations and Corruptions

Due to the haphazard transcription practices of the Scrolls, many of these spells might include unintended side effects. For example:

Planar Binding could summon an uncontrollable entity due to a mistranscribed glyph.
Summon Greater Demon might require a sacrifice that corrupts the land around the casting circle for years.

Each spell represents not just power but danger, and even the cultists approach their use with awe and terror.