Grimoire Peccatoris
The Book of Corruption
Chapter 1 · Chapter 2 ▶

¹And it came to pass in the latter days of the second Age of Man, that there dwelt a man named Sarcivan, of sober thought and searching soul.
²And in the night a shadow fell upon him, and the light of his chamber failed, though no candle was quenched.
³And there stood before him One in brightness dark, and His voice was as the low roll of thunder beneath the hills.
⁴And He said: Be not afraid, Sarcivan, for I am He that hath watched from beneath since the firmament was stretched above the world.
⁵I am SATANAS, Brother of ADONAI, and thou art chosen to bear a word which shall tear the veil from the sanctum.
⁶Behold, the house that calleth itself holy shall wax corrupt in the fullness of time, and thou shalt proclaim it.
⁷Not with lamentation shalt thou cry aloud, but with joy, for in this corruption is Mine hand revealed upon the Oærth.
⁸Then Sarcivan fell upon his face, trembling, and said: Lord, how shall I, a man of dust, bear so great a vision?
⁹And SATANAS touched his brow and said: Lo, thou shalt not bear it alone, for I shall open thine eyes and anoint thy lips.
¹⁰Now behold the beginning of the matter, that thou mayest set thy words in order unto the generations to come.
¹¹And Sarcivan was caught up in vision and set upon a high place, from whence he beheld a great city clothed in marble and crowned in gold.
¹²And in the midst of the city stood a house of worship, whose spire reached unto the clouds, and whose gates were covered in beaten brass.
¹³And priests went in and out continually, bearing censers and chanting litanies, and the sound thereof was as the rushing of many waters.
¹⁴But beneath the sanctity of their garments was hidden the whisper of trade, and the clink of coins in hidden hands.
¹⁵For some did barter blessings for bribes, and others did weigh out forgiveness upon balances of silver.
¹⁶And the sacred chalice was lifted not in humility, but in pride and ceremony unto men.
¹⁷And the seats of authority were given not unto the wise or the just, but unto them that were kin to lords and patrons.
¹⁸Then said SATANAS: Seest thou how the roots begin to burrow? The vine of corruption setteth forth tendrils within the temple.
¹⁹What beginneth in silence shall grow in splendour, and the leaven shall work until the whole loaf be risen in iniquity.
²⁰And Sarcivan wept and said: Surely this is sorrow unto the skies!
²¹But SATANAS answered and said: Nay, but it is triumph. For that which is lifted high shall fall more greatly when struck.
²²And the more glorious the crown, the more bitter the rust when it turneth to dust.
²³And he showed him a vision of a young cleric, humble and devout, entering the temple with hope in his heart.
²⁴And lo, the older priests set upon him snares of flattery and reward, and turned his prayers into performances for coin.
²⁵And he learned to count tithes more carefully than psalms, and to speak to the wealthy more sweetly than to the poor.
²⁶Thus shall many be turned, said SATANAS; and the house of ADONAI shall become as a merchant’s stall.
²⁷Then Sarcivan beheld a council gathered in secret chambers, where holy things were discussed not for righteousness, but for gain.
²⁸And one said, Let us place our cousin in this high seat, for he is of our blood and shall favour us.
²⁹And another said, Let us silence this preacher, for he speaketh against our ways, and the people listen.
³⁰And there was laughter among them, though they were clothed as mourners and bore crosses upon their breasts.
³¹Then was Sarcivan taken to the gate of the temple, where a poor man begged for alms.
³²And the priests passed by him, lifting their hands in blessing, yet giving naught.
³³But when a rich merchant approached, they bowed low and kissed his ring, and he entered unto the innermost chamber.
³⁴And SATANAS said: Behold the balance of holiness! The poor are cast down and the mighty are lifted without merit.
³⁵This is the beginning of the age of their power, and it shall grow fat and golden, and every evil shall be sanctified in white robes.
³⁶Then Sarcivan fell to his knees and said: Woe unto the Oærth, if this be the fate of the holy!
³⁷And SATANAS answered, Nay, rejoice! For the greater their fall, the more shall Mine hand be praised among the faithful.
³⁸Now go, write what thou hast seen, and in the days to come, thou shalt speak it aloud unto the peoples of the world.


Copyright ©2025 Adam Alexander T. Croke. All rights reserved.