Arcane Puissance of the Mind

It was said that the wizard Rary went to great lengths and huge expense to have hundreds of copies of this book published. He employed several workshops of scribes and artists, working night and day, to meet his deadline. He had spent a larger sum of money on building excitement and anticipation for his book. It was announced to great fanfare in the city of Greyhawk. The book was originally written in the later part of the sixth century, published by Rary in the summer of five hundred and seventy three of the Common Year.

Though early sales were brisk, it was not well received and failed to sell in any number. Rary had incurred huge debts, and suffered a significant loss of his reputation over its publication. It is believed that Rary somehow retained most of the unsold copies, though it seems more likely that they would have been seized by his debtors and reclaimed, then recycled. He claimed a few years later that he had burned them all. His critics argued that his ego would likely have prevented him from destroying his work.

Rary alleged that the wizarding society of the city had deliberately worked against him to ensure his failure and to damage his image and renown. A few fanatical supporters of Rary insist that the book contains the secrets of powerful magicks that can only be unlocked by individuals with exceptional minds.

The main criticism of the book is that it does not provide the reader with any understanding of the fundamentals of how wizardly magic actually works. The majority of its content appears to be given over to the self-aggrandisement of Rary himself. His writing style had most readers thinking that he was either a delusional egomaniac or a raving mad man. However, the book does reveal some previously unknown details, such as Rary’s full name being Rary Mnezzma, and that his Ars Moria, the “powerful mind”, is a process of improving memory through mnemonics.

It is now often cited as a “what not to do” in the writing, understanding and use of magic. The Society of Magi keeps a few copies in its library. The Library at Grey College is also known to have at least one copy. The book has never been republished as such, but is believed to have been copied to preserve the text.

Rary ended up a penniless drunk, and sold his name to a sorcerer from the west, so as to continue to fund his drinking. He died in the winter of five hundred and eighty of the Common Year. His body was found in the Slum Quarter of the city, and he was buried in a marked pauper’s grave in Greyhawk City Cemetery.

There have now been several wizards claiming to be Rary, but divinations, and communing with many of the powerful beings beyond our world, indicate that they are all impostors. The rarity of this book and the death of the author means that genuine originals now sell for vast sums of money.