Dragon's Wisdom

Camelous was a warrior through and through, but he was not a craft man like his brothers. While he had an eye for detail and skill with metallurgy beyond a normal man – such a thing is to be expected by one of the Emperor’s sons – but Camelous’ skill could not compete with truly skilled craftsmen, let alone this prodigious skill of most of his brothers. Indeed, contrary to imperial propaganda that would later attribute a great many things to him, Camelous would craft very little. Most notably was a coin he would gift to his brother Charon upon their first meeting, as he had learned that his brother gave such a gift to all his brothers. However, Camelous would always carry at least one tome on his person, that he would continually write in. These books were actually part of a project that started before Camelous even know of the Imperium. The early books were relatively simple, they were his experiences with psychic powers and in a sense a guidebook to the use, training and dangers of psychic powers. Later books were psychic powers penned down. All of these books, were written in different odd code languages, that includes overlapping signs, unknown symbols, and stage sigils. Camelous would translate some of the early books, some of which would be copied and find its way into the hands of the loyalists. One of the translated books was supposedly gifted to Lu Yueh and an untranslated book whose contents were known only to Camelous were gifted to Gaius, leaving the latter to try and find a way to break the cypher himself. Finally a book was granted to Shaaa upon Camelous’ return during the apostasy.

The newer books that contained many powerful psychic powers that could be used as weapons, were presented before the Emperor by Camelous, during the great crusade. The Emperor is said to have been greatly angered by this and orders Camelous to burn the tomes and never use these powers. Camelous complied and gave his word to the Emperor.

A great many questions remained about the nature of these powers. Some theories suggest that these powers were imbued within the primarch and thus part of his very nature, and why the Emperor could not simply erase these powers. It is also possible that emperor either trusted Camelous or wanted Camelous to have access to these powers in the case of emergency or future use. Other would suspect that these powers were something the Emperor had not planned on Camelous to know and that the Emperor feared for the webway and likewise it is possible that these powers were created by Camelous himself. Whatever the case might have been Camelous is widely believed to have used the powers during the solar war. With Camelous’ death the knowledge is forever lost, save for whatever was hidden in the few remaining tomes.

It is unknown exactly how many of these books remained, though it is assumed that Gabriel were in possession of one when he joined what would later be the grey knights, and as such it can be assumed the tome remains with them.

### Known Books

#### Tome of 19 Plagues

Once a tool given to Lu Yueh as a gift so that he could learn to weald his psionic abilities. It was diligently penned such that it covered all manner of abilities and methods to use the warp, so that whatever powers Lu might be able to wield, it would serve him and even his sons well. And that it did, passing hands every so often until it landed in the hands of Wen Huo when he rose to the rank of chief librarian. It is Wen who would use his gifts to slowly corrup the book and its teachings through small alterations, as Nurgle directed him. Ensuring all librarians who wished to study it away from the watchful eyes of the chaplaincy would fall into the grandfather's embrace.

By the time of the Apostacy the book was already corrupted far beyond recognition. Wording slightly twisted here, new additions added in there, and pages that would slowly wither and grow back. This tome was now an unholy relic of Nurgle forever tainted yet still serving its original purpose. It would forever teach all in the second legion who wished to learn, the teachings of their dear uncle Camelous. A reminder of the blessings he gave the legion during the crusade and a reminder of one they failed to save from the Emperor's grasp. Whatever name it once held it was henceforth called the tome of 19 plagues, in honour of the 19th legion and their now dead Primarch, may he rest in Nurgle's embrace.