The Book of Vanitas (ヴァニタスの
Noé Archiviste travels to Paris in pursuit of the Book, instructed by his Teacher to discern its "true nature," and in the process encounters Vanitas. Contrary to the legend, Vanitas is a self-proclaimed "average human being" who inherited ownership of the Book, and a doctor who specializes in Vampires. Together Vanitas and Noé travel through France to find curse-bearers and heal them using the Book, aspiring to save all Vampirekind from destruction.
This article contains plot and/or ending details for The Case Study of Vanitas.
Read at your own risk.
In truth there is not only one Book of Vanitas in existence—at least one other had been created by the Vampire of the Blue Moon. It is currently in the possession of Mikhail, Vanitas's adoptive younger brother. When the two were children they were kidnapped and subjected to inhumane experimentation by Doctor Moreau, who dreamed of turning humans into Vampires. Through yet uncertain means, he acquired the two Books of Vanitas and experimented on the children to turn them into "pseudo-Kin" of the Vampire of the Blue Moon, wishing to give them the power to open the Books. The experiment was halted when the Vampire of the Blue Moon themselves destroyed the lab, retrieved their Books, and rescued the children.
The Vampire adopted the two children as their own, the three working together to attempt to find a way to save Vanitas and Mikhail, who were fated to die painfully due to Moreau's experimentation making their existences unstable. After running out of options, the Vampire offered one last choice: to make the children their "Kin" with a Mark of Possession. Mikhail accepted instantly. Vanitas refused vehemently. This would eventually lead to an event that leave Mikhail believed to be dead, Vanitas becoming Marked, and the Vampire being killed at the latter's hands. With the Vampire's death, Vanitas and Mikhail each inherited one Book of Vanitas, each using the power for their own gain.
Description[]
The Book of Vanitas is described to be "a blue leather cover and jet-black pages, a clockwork grimoire linked to a silver chain."
According to Luna, the blue stone embedded on the Books' cover is Astermite, although not an ordinary one. It's a special stone with higher purity and great power, known as "Blue Tear Stone" or "Divine Tear Stone," polished and cut into a circular shape.
History[]
According to legend, the Book of Vanitas were created by Luna, the Vampire of the Blue Moon. Contrary to the legend, the Vampire of the Blue Moon actually created multiple Books of Vanitas. Only two Books of Vanitas have been shown thus far in the manga, so it is currently unknown as to whether there are more than two Books in existence.
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Luna telling Vanitas about The Divine Tear Stone.
At some point in the past, Moreau acquired two of the Books of Vanitas through a certain unnamed channel. He quickly realized that it was impossible to open the books without being one of the Kin of the Blue Moon, and began running experiments to manufacture pseudo- Kin of the Blue Moon. Moreau used Vanitas and Mikhail in the final form of this experiment, injecting them with the blood of the Vampire of the Blue Moon and strapping them to a machine designed to temporarily turn them into Kin. Before the machine could start, the Vampire of the Blue Moon came to the lab and retrieved their books, destroying the lab in the process.
While traveling with Vanitas and Mikhail, Luna taught the boys about the Books of Vanitas and their abilities. At some point before their death, Luna gave one of the Books to Mikhail and the other to Vanitas.
Plot[]
Vanitas’ Book of Vanitas is highly sought after by many: Parks Orlok attempted to keep it from Vanitas after failing to access its power himself, The Teacher wishes to discern the true nature of The Book of Vanitas and has sent Noé Archiviste to retrieve it for him, and Luca Oriflamme is intent on destroying the Book of Vanitas in an attempt to that cure his curse-bearing elder brother.
Powers and Abilities[]
- Manipulation of True Names - Vanitas primarily uses his Book of Vanitas to cure patients who have been identified as Curse-Bearers. Using The Book of Vanitas, Vanitas is capable of entering a Vampire's subconscious in order to liberate their True Name from the Malnomen generated by Charlatan. Vanitas has successfully done this to Amelia Ruth,Thomas Berneux, an unnamed boy consumed by Prédateur, Chloé d'Apchier, and Jean-Jacques Chastel.
- Temporary Paralysis - The Books of Vanitas can inflict a brief period of paralysis on its victim, as shown when Vanitas temporarily paralyzed Thomas Berneux before he could kill Riche. Mikhail uses this attack on Noé during their first encounter.
- Reality Field Generation - Following his curing of Berneux as a Curse Bearer, Vanitas set about creating a field in which Vampires could not fight - having anticipated that Jeanne would persist in her mission to destroy him and the Book of Vanitas and opting for a more diplomatic solution to the destruction of Paris as Jeanne pursued him. Unfortunately, while generating such a field, Vanitas is incapable of using any further power from the Book of Vanitas.
- Astermite Manipulation - The Books of Vanitas can manipulate Astermite — a mineral used as a power source by a majority devices in the world. Both Vanitas and Mikhail use their Books to control automatons and robots powered by Astermite.
Appearances[]
- Mémoire 1: Vanitas — In the Event of Rusty Hopes
- Mémoire 2: Noé — In the City of Flowers
- Mémoire 3: Jeanne — The Hellfire Witch
- Mémoire 4: Femme Fatale — Love
- Mémoire 5: Archiviste — Fangs That Reveal Blood
- Mémoire 6: Altus — Other World
- Mémoire 7: Bal Masqué — Night of Sneering Masks
- Mémoire 8: Louis — Sinking in a Pool of Blood
- Mémoire 10: Salvatio — Uncertainty
- Mémoire 11: Deux Ombres — Point of Departure
- Mémoire 13: Glissando — Glissando
- Mémoire 16: Galop — At the End of the Riot
- Mémoire 17: Cicatrice — No. 69
- Mémoire 18: Dos à Dos — The Shape of Salvation
- Mémoire 26: Dissonance — Creaking Laughter
- Mémoire 27: Cage de Neige — Dregs (Mentioned only)
- Mémoire 28: Dal Segno — Question Mark
- Mémoire 34.5: Jean-Jacques — The Vampire of the Chastels (Part Two) (Mentioned only)
- Mémoire 37: Vengeance — Hands That Touch a Nightmare
- Mémoire 40: Avec Toi — Alone Together
- Mémoire 41: Canorus — Snow Flower
- Mémoire 43: Encens Restant — Lingering Scent of the Dream
- Mémoire 46: Un Autre — Scar
- Mémoire 48: Rencontre — Blue Night
- Mémoire 50: Petrichor — The Thread That Reels in the Past
- Mémoire 51: Tempest — A Silent Scream
- Mémoire 52: Sens Unique — Fall
- Mémoire 53: Pleuvoir — Rain Which Doesn't Know the Sky
- Mémoire 54: La nuit sans lune — Dark Night (Part One)
- Mémoire 54.5: La nuit sans lune — Dark Night (Part Two)
- Mémoire 55: Après la pluie — His Wish (Part One)
- Mémoire 55.5: Après la pluie — His Wish (Part Two)
Coming soon!
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Luca's reasoning for wanting to destroy The Book of Vanitas is that it creates as many Curse-Bearers as it liberates, and it is his belief that if it is destroyed, the curse would be destroyed alongside it. Whether or not this theory has any merit remains to be seen.