Sanguinis Itinera

The book in its pedestal under the University

Hugo: *What is this book about?*
Amicia: *It's the story of a little boy who's going to get a lot better now.*[src]
Amicia explains the contents of the book to Hugo

The **Sanguinis Itinera**, or "**Voyages of the Blood**", was a mysterious and sacred book that contained details on the Prima Macula and said to hold the formula for an elixir to curtail the corruption.

## History

### Background

It is unknown how long the book has existed, although an Inquisition Magister refers to the book as sacred, containing knowledge going back to the dawn of man. At some point in the five years following the birth of her son, Hugo, Béatrice de Rune either read it or met someone who knew enough of its contents to gain inspiration to work with Laurentius to make an elixir that would slow the Prima Macula in Hugo's blood. It also contains a wealth of other knowledge, including alchemical processes and recipes forbidden by the church as heretical and thus the book was locked away under the university library in a smaller library of other forbidden or protected books, sealed away behind an intricate, special door that only its makers could unlock.

Even without access to the book, Béatrice's work and experimentation came close to completing the elixir but the family estate was raided in September 1348 by the Inquisition under Vitalis Bénévent, who wanted to capture the boy, which failed but instead captured Béatrice to torture her.

### The Way of Roses

Hugo was on the run with his sister Amicia and a few other friends gathered along the way, but his condition continued to progress closer and closer to a potentially deadly threshold. Lucas, Laurentius' apprentice, realized that he needed the Sanguinis Itinera to have any hope of treating Hugo in time, so he had Amicia infiltrate the city, sneak into the University, and steal the book. The Inquisition had already taken control of the town, going so far as releasing plague rats into the city to facilitate evacuation, and set up shop in the University with the goal of obtaining the book. Vitalis himself arrived and ordered the smith who built the door captured and tortured to open the door, although the man died rather than comply. His son, Rodric, was fetched to attempt to open the door, but he was rescued by Amicia and was convinced to open the door for her instead. They reached the hidden library and found the book lying on its own pedestal, stealing the book just in time before Vitalis and his men got there. The University had caught fire during Rodric's rescue, forcing the Inquisition to abandon the operation while the children escaped with the Sanguinis Itinera and the entire building burnt to the ground.

Even now, with all the knowledge he needed, Lucas still could not complete the elixir with the meager equipment he had at the Château d'Ombrage hideout, so, taking the book with him, he and Amicia traveled to the de Rune estate to find Béatrice's hidden laboratory where they found not only supplies and equipment, but an incomplete elixir left in progress. Using the book and Béatrice's progress, Lucas was able to complete the mixture and gave it to Hugo, easing his symptoms and stopping the progression of the Macula.

Unfortunately, this effort proved to be for nothing when Hugo was captured by the Inquisition and some of his blood was transferred to Vitalis. The boy attempted to rescue his mother, but when Vitalis sent men to kill her Hugo was forced to fully awaken the Macula's power of controlling the plague rats, which also awakened the Macula that had been transferred to Vitalis as well. Although he survived the passing of the threshold, this also damaged Hugo's mind, making him easier to manipulate.

### All That Remains

With the elixir made, the book seems to be of no further use and was left in Béatrice's lab as Lucas did not take it with him back to the castle. It is possible as since elements of the Inquisition are still looking for Hugo, they may also be trying to find the book as well but it is also uncertain as, following Vitalis' death, whether they even know that the Sanguinis Itinera survived the University fire.

## Physical Appearance

The Sanguinis Itinera is a large, heavy book about a foot across. It has a wooden spine and an intricate dark-silver cover. Each side has six distinctive red wax seals, each stamped with face. In the centre of the front cover is a red square—a decorative engraving depicting a tree flanked by two winged cherubs, each dropping blood into the mouths of rats emerging from the ground.

Parts of the cover show damage from age, such as small parts of the cover that have peeled away.

It is several inches thick with pages absolutely full of blackletter-style writings and illuminated texts.