Trunsoest Brass Book

The Trunsoest Brass Book, numbered 0-02, was a self-writing Grade 0 Sealed Artifact that imposed laws upon an area, appointed law enforcement, and punished violations. Its earliest pages contained fixed gray-black rules; later silver pages could create or amend rules. Its legal logic was formidable but exploitable through loopholes, jurisdiction, contradictory statutes, and the destruction of the domain in which a law applied.

History

Belltaine's autonomous law

In Belltaine, 0-02 established curfew, residency, punishment, and enforcement rules while continually closing loopholes. Klein Moretti forced it to name itself by creating a dispute over who could enforce the law, then used the resulting mystical connection to locate it in the city library. The Book had already legislated that no living being could touch it or change its condition on pain of death. (Chapter 1286)

Klein and Arianna exploited definitions rather than confronting it directly. They shrank the library, altered surrounding conditions, and induced a contradiction: 0-02 had to punish a local intruder, but had also forbidden harm to Belltaine and its residents. During the resulting paradox, Biles found the sealing clue. Arianna ultimately took control of the Book without touching it directly and threw it to Klein for removal. (Chapters 1287–1289)

Sealed weapon against Amon

Klein later brought 0-02 into the battle with Amon. Through the Genie's connection with the Book, it formed prohibitions against theft and deception, although its rules remained reactive and needed time and sufficient awakening to become watertight. Klein's Blind Stupidity slowed its writing, while the destruction of the temporary divine kingdom abolished the laws tied to that domain. He then Fooled the Book into a sealed state and placed it in Sefirah Castle's junk pile. (Chapters 1377–1387)

Tarot Club field deployment

Years later, Alger Wilson carried 0-02 as the Tarot Club's Grade 0 artifact in the battle against the Demoness Sect. Its writable space had been deliberately exhausted through deceit, limiting its awakening and leaving only basic applications. With the Tyrant card raising his level, Alger defined the battlefield as a righteous Land of Light and added derivative rules that suppressed depravity and confiscated evil entities. The effort was strenuous, and later rules had to derive from the earlier legal frame rather than appear arbitrarily. (Chapters 2563–2570)

Abilities and properties

• The Book autonomously writes laws, defines authorized enforcers, assigns punishments, and expands provisions to close observed loopholes. Punishments include whipping, confinement, and death. Its jurisdiction and the definitions inside each rule determine whom it can affect. (Chapters 1286–1288)
• Gray-black early rules appear fixed until further awakening; silver later rules can be altered or extended. At low activation, its laws are less absolute and tend to punish a violation after it occurs. Greater awakening can turn them into stronger prohibitions. (Chapters 1286 and 1380–1381)
• Contradictory laws can trap it in a paradox long enough to inspect or seal it. Rules can also lapse if the domain to which they apply is destroyed. These are demonstrated counters, but both require preparation and can cost lives if mishandled. (Chapters 1287–1289 and 1383–1387)
• A qualified wielder can dictate laws, environmental definitions, and derivative statutes. Rank, available writing space, activation level, and prior rules limit speed and scope; Alger required the Tyrant card and significant effort for three linked battlefield laws. (Chapters 2565 and 2570)
• Merely understanding 0-02 and its sefirah-related corruption could establish a dangerous reverse connection. Direct contact was specifically outlawed during the Belltaine incident. (Chapter 1286)

Ownership and custody