Approved Lore The Book of the Briar

[Sor-Jan Xantha]

Spoiler

​

​

• Intent: Expand upon the lore of the Witches of Ryloth.
• Image Credit: Ancient-origins.net
• Canon: N/A
• Links: Dathomir Magic | The Book of Power

• Media Name: The Book of the Briar
• Format: Book
• Distribution: Rare
• Length: Medium
• Description: The Book of the Briar was a sacred text on the body, mind, and spirit in the religion of the Witches of Ryloth. It was discovered during the Four Hundred Years Darkness, with each copy being carefully duplicated by hand. No holographic scans exist, as the book remains a closely guarded secret of the Mandragora.

• Author: Anonymous
• Publisher: Confederacy of Independent Systems (Mandragora)
• Reception: The Book of the Briar was a sacred text of the Witches of Ryloth, being based on the earlier writings found in that Dathomiri cult's interpretation of the Book of Law. As a result, it generally received negative treatment from both the Sith and the Jedi, as well as critical treatment from those Nightsisters or Nightbrothers who followed different interpretations of the Book of Law.

The Book of the Briar was a sacred text authored in the tradition of a Dathomir grimoire, or book of spells. The cover was made of cured rancor hide, embossed with runic symbols and arcane circles over which the iconic emblem of the Winged Goddess can be seen intertwined with the tree of life. The pages of the grimoire were composed of loub-paper, upon which indelible ink had been transposed with exacting detail by hand, in order to carefully replicate the markings in the original.

As with the Book of Power, the spirits of the Mandragora allowed the reader to read the text in their native language, but those spirits could also confuse the reader and render the writings within nonsense. The ability to decipher the knowledge contained in the Book of the Briar depended entirely upon the spirit of the one who picked it up and then attempted to read it. This also meant that those who touched it were subject to the whim and whimsy of the spirits, and may have found themselves lost in a hallucination or vision as a result.

The Book of the Briar was organized into five distinct parts, which can be broken down into a dedication to the Winged Goddess; a treatise on homeopathy; an illumination of the spell to invoke the green spirits; followed by a metaphysical interpretation of Force Healing; and, finally, an appendix on holistic remedies and the spirits that should be either called upon or avoided, depending on the diagnosed condition.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Part I: In the Name of the Winged Goddess, to the Sisters of Ryloth, greetings...

The opening article contained in the text was an epistle by the anonymous author to a covern of Dathomiri faithful who may have dwelled in the Nightlands of Ryloth at the time that particular piece of the grimoire was penned. It continued upon the Book of Power's interpretation of the spirit ichor as descending from the Winged Goddess, reinforcing the Mandragora spiritual principles and understanding of the Force through application of spirits and magical ichor, or spell casting, to create the fundamental building block of Mandragora healing mysticism -- the Waters of Life.

• Part II: On the Nature of the Mind, Body, and Spirit

The second part of the compilation work was an examination of nature through the metaphysical and allegorical lens of traditional Dathomiri belief structures about spirits. It contained illustration of various flora, along with instructions for their homeopathic application as part of a systematic view of personal health that could be construed as the Mandragora view of holistic medicine. It included spells for inducing hypno-trance as a form of healing meditation.

• Part III: On the Spirits of the Briar

The third part of grimoire focused extensively on the Dathomir magic known as Surge of the Briar, applying the concepts of the two preceding chapters to form the Mandragora understanding of the metaphysics of what the Surge of the Briar was and how it functioned -- both in terms of external application to the environment and internal application supporting the health of the ritualist. The largest chapter of the collected tome, the Mandragora understanding of the magic inherent to Surge of the Briar contained elements that the Jedi or Sith would recognize as Detoxify Poison and Plant Surge, being capable of offensive use as well as a meditative foci for healing.

• Part IV: On the Revitalization of the Whuffa

The fourth chapter of the sacred text contained the anonymous author's view of Force Healing as a direct application of the Waters of Life through invocation of the spell Revitalization of the Whuffa. A small chapter than the others of the work, it contained more practical advice on the subject than lengthy discussion of the underlying philosophies. As such, it could be construed as the Mandragora text on the matter of healer-patient interaction or medical ethics.

• Part V: Appendix

The final part of the Book of the Briar is a compendium that expands upon the plants listed in the second chapter of the book, and may have been a later or more recent addition to the grimoire. Listing the plants, their associated spirit form, rites for their invocation, and subsequent effect upon the mind, body, or soul, the appendix seeks to link the shaman with a recipe index of homeopathic remedies for the various diseases that the Witches of Ryloth encountered. Several pages remained blank, to allow space for later entries as new planets and forms of fauna were discovered and introduced into the Mandragora practice. As a result, this part of the grimoire may appear differently depending on the local medicinal plants and associated notes taken by those shaman who had plied their hand to that particular copy.

The Book of the Briar was authored sometime after the Book of Power, with both being re-discovered during the period known as the Four Hundred Years Darkness on the planet Ryloth. Both literally and in the context of the Mandragora religion, the Book of the Briar serves as a companion text to the Book of Power -- expanding on the rituals and traditions specific to the natural healing of the mind, body, and soul. In that sense, it can be viewed as a kitchen witch's guide to homeopathic remedies rather than a sacred text on the subject. This is because the grimoire focuses on ordinary application through everyday interaction with people, plants, and spirits and then introducing concepts by which the Mandragora guide or manipulate those interactions.

Whereas the Book of Power provides an overview of the spirits at large, the Book of the Briar focuses on the Winged Goddess and the green spirits, specifically the role that green spirits (notably plants) play in nourishing and supporting the body's natural healing abilities. While it is generally accepted that the book has a single anonymous author, various discrepancies in the original text have caused some debate over the possibility that it may have had several authors and been assembled into its current form over a number of years. With so much of the Witches of Ryloth's history lost to the annals of time, it is possible for anyone to say which is true with any certainty.

 

[Amea Virou]

[member="Zak Dymo"]

Reviewing this, amigo.

Hold tight.

 

[Amea Virou]

[member="Zak Dymo"]

Very straight forward. A book that lists old traditional techniques like a Witch's Cookbook. Sweet.

I will trainee approve this!

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Amea Virou"], [member="Zak Dymo"]

Nice sub.

Approved.