Record of Rassilon

An archival data cache contained within Type 40 time vessels, manifesting as a segmented textual repository of Time Lord emergency protocols. The Record can be accessed via the TARDIS's inner layers as illuminated parchment-like segments detailing forbidden lore on predatory species and defensive measures. It may also be physically rendered as a printed scroll when needed for specific tactical scenarios, such as operations against vampires where direct reference is required. The text glows faintly under K9's monitoring, with warnings echoing through the console room as urgency deepens.

6 appearances

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

6 moments

S18E15 · State of Decay Part 3

Doctor and Romana uncover Rassilon’s Record clue

The Record of Rassilon is referenced indirectly when Romana recalls its nature as an emergency instruction reserved for certain time vehicles. Though not physically present, its mention catalyzes the Doctor’s realization that the TARDIS may hold it, transforming their predicament from reactive imprisonment to proactive problem-solving. It assumes symbolic weight as a potential cosmic lifeline.

Before: Known only through archival fragments, its existence presumed but unverified by Romana until this moment.

After: Elevated to a critical objective: to be located and accessed within the TARDIS.

View full event

S18E15 · State of Decay Part 3

Tarak shatters plans with brutal entrance

Romana references the Record of Rassilon as a critical archival data cache linked to Type 40 time vessels, including the TARDIS. This revelation becomes the focal point of their whispered exchange just before Tarak’s violent interruption derails their research. The Record symbolizes hidden knowledge that could counter the regime’s power.

Before: An archival object stored in Time Lord data repositories, known to Romana through her archival work, but physically distant and abstract until this moment.

After: Its contents are verbally referenced but remain unexplored as immediate escape becomes the priority; physically unchanged but functionally deferred.

View full event

S18E15 · State of Decay Part 3

Doctor seeks ancient vampiric lore

The Record of Rassilon is invoked as the Doctor’s urgent target, its earliest data segment accessed via the TARDIS memory core to extract forbidden knowledge about predatory species. The revelation of vampires—linked in lore to such dangers—immediately frames the archive’s relevance to the unfolding crisis with Aukon and the Great One.

Before: Dormant within the TARDIS data core, sealed behind layers of security, awaiting retrieval.

After: Accessed and scrolling on the console as the Doctor begins to parse its contents for critical insights.

View full event

S18E15 · State of Decay Part 3

Doctor and Romana confront locked vault access

The Record of Rassilon is the focal point of their efforts, its security protocols resisting all permutations of access attempts. Though its forbidden lore is referenced, the Doctor cannot penetrate its defenses, forcing a redirect to folklore databases and later to mechanical solutions.

Before: Sealed behind advanced Time Lord security protocols within TARDIS databanks

After: Still inaccessible by conventional means, but the pivot to the magnetic card system offers a potential breakthrough

View full event

S18E15 · State of Decay Part 3

Doctor unlocks Rassilon's tomb mechanism

The Record of Rassilon remains locked behind the vault’s security, inaccessible despite the Doctor’s frantic attempts to breach it. It exists as the narrative and informational prize driving the urgency, its absence preventing critical countermeasures against Aukon and the Great One’s plot. Though physically static, its importance pulses through the scene as the unmet objective.

Before: Locked behind an unknown high-security vault, authentication denied despite exhaustive search protocols

After: Temporarily obscured as focus shifts to unlocking via the newly revealed magnetic card system

View full event

S18E15 · State of Decay Part 3

Doctor uncovers vampire's fatal weakness

The Record of Rassilon appears as a scrolling display of illuminated parchment segments when accessed through the TARDIS console. The Doctor scrolls through these fragments to retrieve lost Time Lord knowledge regarding the physiology and weaknesses of vampire creatures, finding references to bow ships and the mighty bolt of steel required to destroy their hearts

Before: Stored in the TARDIS deeper layers as archival data

After: Displayed on the console, partially scrolled through, with critical segments illuminated for analysis

View full event