Black Scripture

Black Scripture (漆黒聖典) is one of the Six Scriptures of the Slane Theocracy. They were said to be the strongest scripture among the Six Scriptures.
== Background ==
Black Scripture is the Slane Theocracy's final trump card, a special forces unit comprising of individuals with heroic-level abilities. One could even think of them as a group supposedly made up of adamantite-ranked adventurers. However, there was actually a critical difference that sets the Black Scripture apart from most adamantite adventurer groups, that of their equipment used by each of its respective members. In other words, they're utilizing the equipment that originated from the arsenal of items belonging to the Six Great Gods. While so, the Black Scripture are commonly assigned to very dangerous tasks, and so they had a very high attrition rate.
Their title as the mightiest unit within the Slane Theocracy and their black motif directly correlate with them following the teachings of the God of Death of the Six Great Gods, Surshana. Not only is their Death God the most powerful of all the Six Great Gods, but their group as a whole also holds the greatest fighting power than all the other Five Scriptures too.
== Chronology ==
=== The Undead King Arc ===
While the Sunlight Scripture was attempting to assassinate Gazef Stronoff, the Black Scripture was preparing for the upcoming resurrection of Catastrophe Dragon Lord, while protecting the artifact known as Downfall of Castle and Country.Overlord Volume 01 Chapter 4: Duel
=== The Bloody Valkyrie Arc ===
The Black Scripture were dispatched to the area near E-Rantel after the divination spell on Nigun Grid Luin was countered. Taking it to be an indication of the Dragon Lord, they came to investigate. The Black Scripture proceeded to run into a pack of vampire wolves. Soon after they encountered Shalltear Bloodfallen. Sensing the danger, Kaire used Downfall of Castle and Country to brainwash the vampire. However, she was mortally wounded while two of her bodyguards were killed before Shalltear completely lost her mind.Overlord Volume 03 Chapter 2: True Vampire
=== The Lizard Man Heroes Arc ===
After being forced to retreat from their encounter with Shalltear, the Black Scripture returned back to the homeland. There the Captain of the Black Scripture gave his report to the Six Cardinals of the strange vampire his comrades had encountered near E-Rantel.Overlord Volume 04 Intermission
=== The Invaders of the Large Tomb Arc ===
Platinum Dragon Lord warned Rigrit not to have her ring fall into the hands of the enemy, particularly the Black Scripture.Overlord Volume 07 Intermission
=== The Ruler of Conspiracy Arc ===
The Black Scripture has been reportedly badly weakened after its clash with Shalltear by the Supreme Council of the Slane Theocracy.
Additionally, one of the Six Cardinals suggested sending the Black Scripture's retired members over to the Dragon Kingdom as reinforcements. In other words, they were hoping to have the retirees assist that nation against the face of a demi-human invasion.Overlord Volume 10 Intermission
=== The Craftsman of Dwarf Arc ===
The Elf King reminisced about the past, where he once captured the Theocracy's trump card and impregnated her and how she was later saved by the Black Scripture. He thinks about going to the Slane Theocracy to retake the child he sired.Overlord Volume 11 Intermission
=== The Witch of the Falling Kingdom Arc ===
After the Kingdom went to war with the Sorcerer Kingdom, which the former would surely lose, the Theocracy deployed several members of the Black Scripture, led by Quaiesse Hazeia Quintia, to the doomed country. However, rather than coming to the nation's aid, they were instead ordered to recruit powerful adventurers to the Theocracy's cause in exchange for escorting them out of the Kingdom safely.
One of the adventurer groups they approached was Blue Roses, alongside Red Drop's Azuth Aindra. Unfortunately, talks between the Black Scripture and Azuth instantly broke down when the latter keep bombarding the secret organization with confidential questions they are not open to neither talk about nor answer it. Similarly, all the members of Blue Roses have also turned down the Black Scripture's offer, instead choosing to stay behind and defend the Kingdom. In the end, although the Back Scripture failed to recruit the Kingdom's two adamantite-ranked adventurer groups, many other adventurers accepted their offer as planned.
After Azuth made a mocking statement about Rufus and his connections to them and the Theocracy, the Black Scripture quickly turned hostile to all the adamantite adventurers present in the room. It was said that the members of the Black Scripture did not lower their guard since then as they left the meeting room. They maintained that kind of attitude in a way if the group of adventurers were to take any sort of action on them, they would retaliate in kind.
With the meeting over and done with, the Black Scripture made it their plan to report and relay what Azuth of Red Drop said to them to the higher-ups when they returned back to their nation.Overlord Volume 14 Chapter 3: The Last King
== Principles ==
While part of the greater whole of the Slane Theocracy, the Black Scripture has its own separate culture that reflects the edicts of their patron god respectively. According to the laws dictated by the Six Great Gods, someone over the age of twenty will already be considered an adult in the Theocracy. Thus, when junior Black Scripture members go out on missions, they would wear magical masks to conjure a fake face.
Additionally, when the time came for a new Shaman Princess to replace their old one, the job of the Black Scripture was to remove the Crown of Wisdom from its current wearer. Thereafter, they would then promptly send off the now-insane Shaman Princess to be with the Six Great Gods. In other words, the Black Scripture was tasked with the job of killing the previous user of that item once they served their purpose.Overlord Volume 02 Chapter 1: The Two Adventurers
During important missions, the Black Scripture was also apparently given the authority to use the powerful "Divine Equipment" left behind by the Six Great Gods of the Theocracy for vital assignments. Additionally the Scripture members are given the added duty of protecting the item’s user during their missions until its power can be activated. As seen where they were assigned to protect Kaire during their mission to subjugate the Catastrophe Dragon Lord until she activated the item’s power in order to bring the Dragon Lord under their control.
Due to her being its strongest member of the Black Scripture, its Extra Seat, "Zesshi Zetsumei" was stated to to be granted access to the personal armory of the Six Great Gods. With it being implied that she was specifically trained in a special job classes in order to allow her use of their equipment and allow her to use the skills of the Six Great Gods via her Talent when combined with the items. As shown during the last stages of the Theocracy - Elf War, Zesshi was granted usage of the equipment of the "God of Wind" and the "God of Death" respectively in her successful attempt at the Elf King's life. 
== Strength ==
Black Scripture is considered to be the strongest group among the Six Scriptures and consists of members who have reached human physical limits and possess heroic level strength. In other words, Black Scripture
is the strongest of all combat groups working within the Slane Theocracy and its pride. Unlike the other Scriptures, each of its members focuses on a specific type of combat or skill and is comparable to a whole
combat group. They will usually carry out their missions alone, but will still work together if ordered by their captain.
According to Nigun Grid Luin, only the Black Scripture could eliminate many Archangel Flames like Ainz Ooal Gown which is a demonstration of their group's strength. However, unlike Ainz, he had
doubts that any of those members from the Black Scripture would be able to take care of all the angels with just one spell. Overlord Volume 02 Chapter 5: Ruler of Death
The highest-ranking and strongest members of the Black Scripture are thought to be demigods, because of their immense powers and the fact that the blood of the Six Gods runs within them. Upon meeting them,
Shalltear Bloodfallen estimated the strength of their group's leader to be superior to Solution Epsilon, a member of the Pleiades. The cardinals stated that the Black Scripture can use a grand ritual
to summon the highest-ranked angel in case their group's strength isn't enough to eliminate a threat.
During the meeting of four members of the Black Scripture with Blue Roses and Azuth Aindra, it was immediately noticed by the Adamantite Adventurers that each and every one of the four members'
individual strength alone far surpassed theirs by a wide margin despite their own immense power. Thereby showing that a single member of the Black Scripture has power equivalent to a team of Adamantite
Adventurers.
To be inducted into the Black Scripture, candidates needed to reach the "Realm of Heroes" which was over level 30. Those in other Six Scriptures who managed to reach such an achievement would then be transferred into the Black Scripture.
== Known Members ==
=== Current Members ===
* 1st Seat: Captain of the Black Scripture
* 2nd Seat: Time Turbulence
* 3rd Seat: Four Great Spirits
* 4th Seat: Divine Chant
* 5th Seat: Quaiesse Hazeia Quintia, "One Man Army"
* 6th Seat: 6th Seat of the Black Scripture
* 7th Seat: Thousand Leagues Astrologer
* 8th Seat: Cedran, "Myriad Barriers"
* 9th Seat: Beaumarchais, "Divine Chain"
* 10th Seat: Strongest Human
* 11th Seat: Infinite Magic
* 12th Seat: Heaven and Earth
=== Former Members ===
* Former 9th Seat: Clementine, "Windstride" (Defected)
* Former 3rd Seat: Raymond Zarg Lauransan (Retired)
* Former Extra Seat: Antilene Heran Fouche, "Certain Death" (Captured)
== Trivia ==
* In the Web Novel, Ainz resembles the God of the Black Scripture, Surshana.Overlord First Half Chapter 15: Various Countries Part 2
* In contrast to the Web Novel, there are only eleven seats in the Black Scripture.Overlord Second Half Chapter 16: The Ball Part 4
* Evileye explains that the Black Scripture are thought to be demigods as those with the blood of "Player," yet it seems that she just thinks that "Players" are a special race that is immensely powerful.Overlord Volume 06 Chapter 10: The Greatest Trump Card
* According to Maruyama, someone from the Black Scripture would be regarded as the strongest paladin in the region before one of Enri's Goblin subordinates and Remedios Custodio.Overlord Volume 12 Author Thoughts
* Barring Extra Seat and 1st Seat, distinction in power among the seating members of Black Scripture does not so much match the number order they're placed at.
* During the failed negotiations with Azuth Aindra, he implied that one of the high ranking superiors to the seated members is an undead. He seems to know that its existence and status as both an undead and superior to the Black Scripture is something that should not be general knowledge to outsiders. It was later implied that if leaked, this information could potentially threaten the national safety of the Theocracy, seeing as members of the team were ready to kill Azuth Aindra and all the members of Blue Roses when he spoke of him in order to insure the details on the undead remains hidden.
** It was later confirmed that this undead holds a very high position within the Black Scripture and is a superior to the seating members.
** Later after the failed assassination attempt on the Sorcerer King, it was revealed that the Platinum Dragon Lord was the one who gave Azuth the info on the undead.
* Within the Black Scripture, if a member's seat happens to be left vacant, it is probably due to the former holder of that position have either retired or died during a mission. Thus, outside Black Scripture's current members, there are also the retired members. Those retired members are still heroic ranked, but their physical abilities have degraded with age.
*As to avoid allowing the members from becoming overconfident and thus reckless and arrogant during missions, the Extra Seat of the Black Scripture has stated that one of her duties was to “break in” new members of the scripture that exhibit overconfident and arrogant personalities upon joining. This was accomplished by her completely overpowering and beating them to near death in a practice sparring match. Although this method succeeded with humbling its members, a few of them were stated to have been severely traumatized by her.
==References==
== Gallery ==
pl:Czarne Pismo
Category:Groups and Organizations
Category:Military Forces
Category:Six Scriptures
Category:Slane Theocracy