Old Book Vol. 5

Old Book Vol. 5 is an item in the Suikoden series.

Suikoden I

• Found In: Dragon's Den (chest)
• Use: Give it to Hugo.
• Content: Available here

Suikoden II

• Found In: Greenhill (New Leaf Academy, bookshelf in the study class room)
• Use: Give it to Emilia.
• Content: Available here

Suikoden III

• Found In: Duck Village (talk to a woman behind the inn)
• Use: Give it to Eike.
• Content: Available here

Suikoden IV

• Found In: Mice Catching minigame (prize in Average/Slippery mode)
• Use: Give it to Tanya.
• Content: Available here

Suikoden V

• Found In: Lunas (chest)
• Use: Give it to Alhazred.
• Content: Available here

Book Content (Suikoden I)

In Suikoden, Old Book 5 tells about famous craftsmen, basically giving you hints on how to recruit them.
Title: Craftsmen's Profiles

Body

Name	Description
Mace	Master blacksmith. Of stubborn temperament, but very kind to his apprentices.
Tesla	Scrivener of Antei. Competent.
Gen	Simpleminded shipbuilder of Teien.
Templeton	Mapmaker. Perfectionist who appears whenever changes occur.
Kimberley	Ostensibly a stampmaker. she is in fact...
Sergei	Unsuccessful inventor. Said to be in Kaku.
Antonio	Excellent cook living in Seika.
Lester	Cook whose specialty is stews. Presently working in Moravia Castle.
Hugo	Librarian of Qlon Temple.
Kasios	Balladeer. Deeply in love with Milich, to whom she sings.
Jabba	Arrogant but exceptional appraiser. Feels he can appraise anything.
Kamandol	Popular alchemist of Teien.

Book Content (Suikoden II)

Title: '

Body

In the beginning there was Darkness. The Darkness lived alone for eons. Suffering in solitude for so long a time, the Darkness finally shed a Tear. From this Tear, two brothers were born, Sword and Shield. Sword bragged that he could cut anything to pieces and to that Shield answered that nothing could ever harm him. And so the two went to war.

The battle raged for seven days and seven nights. Sword cut Shield, Shield smashed Sword. Fragments of Sword rained down and formed the sky. Fragments of Shield rained down and formed the earth. Sparks from the battle becomes the stars. The 27 jewels adorning Sword and Shield became the "27 True Runes" and the World came into being.

Book Content (Suikoden III)

Title: Birth of 27 True Runes

Body

THE BIRTH OF THE 27 TRUE RUNES

In the beginning there existed only long, long Darkness.

Over time, Darkness grew lonely. The loneliness became a heavy sorrow. Darkness eventually cried one tear.

From the tear were born two brothers: Sword and Shield.

Sword said it could cut all that exists. Shield replied that nothing could even scratch it.

They fell into war. Their war lasted for 7 days and 7 nights.

In the end, Sword breached Shield, and Shield broke Sword.

Pieces of Sword rained down to make the sky. Pieces of Shield rained down to make the earth. Their battle flashes became the stars.

The 27 gems adorning Sword and Shield transformed into the 27 True Runes. And thus the world began its life.

Book Content (Suikoden IV)

Title: Introduction to Trade

Body

"Let's start by buying something at the trading post in town. That is the first step."

"Next, let's try selling those goods in a different town. If the price is higher than when you bought it, the difference is your profit."

"If the price when you bought it is higher, then you will take a loss. Try looking for a town somewhere else where you can sell it for more."

"As you buy and sell, you will learn what is cheap and what is expensive in which towns."

"Once you get this down, making money is a snap."

"There's one more important point... Among the traded goods, there are some whose rank will go up if you repeatedly trade that item. Ores and clothes work this way."

"Higher ranked goods will sell for higher prices, so your profits will also increase."

"Now, with this, you are already a respectable merchant...."

"A merchant in training, that is."

Book Content (Suikoden V)

In Suikoden V, Old Book 5 tells the conflicts surrounding the succession of the royal family in the Queendom of Falena.
Title: Royal Family Succession Conflict

Body

This tragedy started under the reign of Queen Olhazeta, in the late 210s of the New Capital Calendar.

Princess Falzrahm, second in line to the throne, began maneuvering to win over the majority of the Senate, wanting her sister, Princess Shahrewar, to give up her right of succession and take if for herself.

Rumor has it that the Barows family was the real force behind all this scheming, as they had married one of their members to Princess Falzrahm.

Because both Queen Olhazeta's and Princess Shahrewar's husbands were from the Godwin family, the Barows family became terrified of the possibility of losing their influence in the Senate and royal family.

Thus, they would use Princess Falzrahm in an attempt to seize the right of succession.

It is unclear as to whether all -- or even some -- of these rumors surrounding the Barows family are true.

Regardless of the Barows family's ambitions, however, it does appear that Princess Falzrahm herself really did have designs on the throne.

The situation quikly grew antagonistic between the Godwin and Barows families, each of whom supported one of the two princesses, and even the aristocracy that supported the two families got mixed up in the hostilities.

Queen Olhazeta, once known for her brilliance and decisiveness, was getting old, and she no longer had the stength to resolve the situation.

Armed force was never officially used, but a cold war raged between the two factions, one that used every conceivable form of subterfuge.

And what could be considered the culmination of this secret strife was the Sacred Games of Princess Arshtat.

Even though Princess Shahrewar's daughter, Haswar, was older than Arshtat and therefore had a higher priority of succession...

Princess Falzrahm and Lord Barows tenaciously persuaded Queen Olhazeta into letting them hold the Sacred Games for their oldest child, Arshtat, before Haswar's Sacred Games.

This was, of course, a strategy of Princess Falzrahm's to lend credibility to the idea that she herself was the predominant successor.

But, amazingly, the one who won Princess Arshtat's hand in marriage at these Sacrad Games was a barbaric swordsman from a foreign land.

If either the Barows or the Godwin family had won, the possibility of a rise to arms had been expected. This outcome, then, ironically, led to a cooling down of the antagonism between the two factions.

But that peace only lasted until 226, when Queen Olhazeta passed away. With the prospect of the actual throne so close at hand, antagonsim was rekindled even before the mourning period for the Queen was over.

And that antagonism turned instantaneously into a bloody struggle.

And throughout this struggle, Nether Gate's nefarious influence was the cause of most of the bloodshed.

Nether Gate is usually under the direct control of the Queen, but the throne was vacant during this time.

And so Nether Gate played both sides, executing assassinations for both Princess Shahrewar's and Princess Falzrahm's factions.

Nether Gate's ulitmate goal was to cling to power no matter which side acceded to the throne. In the end, though, their actions brought unprecedented bloodshed to the Sun Palace.

This war of succession saw countless victims, as many from both the Godwin and Barows factions were slain. In the end, even the husbands of the two Princesses themselves were assassinated.

Not wanting to see any more bloodshed, Princess Shahrewar -- not having a very strong personality by nature -- lost the will to fight and gave up the throne to her younger sister.

But Princess Falzrahm had become suspicious of anything and everything. She thought that even this noble gesture of Princess Shahrewar's might be a trick. Thus she ordered Nether Gate to assissinate her older sister.

After acceding to the throne at last, Queen Falzrahm died of illness only two short years later. After all the bloodshed that had occurred, this ending was hardly dramatic.

These years of internal conflict and intrigue have left a brutal scar on the Queendom of Falena. This scar will not easily -- nor quickly -- heal.

But the Princesses Arshtat, Sialeeds and Haswar are determined to never repeat their mothers' mistakes. Many feel that this will certainly be the Queendom's salvation.