Twelve Lost Tomes

...to be injected into a library, treasure, or quest.  These may be very valuable to someone - either to be shared... or suppressed.

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1.  Genealogy of Geramda Barthammer:  Parchment bound within intricate hammered-iron leaves. A history of the dwarves of Rodamine Peaks, whose holding have since usurped by another dwarven clan.  The genealogy traces the succession of leadership back 20 generations, and is necessary for a descendant of Barthammer to reclaim the stronghold and his inheritance.

2. The S'thter:  Pictographs and cuniform etched on wire-bound sheets of mica.  History of the lizardfolk's 'lost' city, allegedly located in the Desert of Glass. It documents the history and advances of the race prior to the coming of the humanoids and the race's subsequent downfall.  The book may include information on advanced 'magics' known to the ancestral lizardfolk.

3. The Inkarthel - Journal of a high-level necromancer, describes the creation of various 'skin-golems' and provides instructions for tattooed runes to imbue them with certain abilities and resistances.  Includes component lists for inks for the runic tattoos.  the runes are intended for use with golems and constructs only.  If these runes are tattooed into living flesh the recipient will perish unless a successful save vs death roll is made.  In which case, success will transfer the tattoo's ability to the living character.  There will likely be another cost associated with this tattooing, even if the transferal is successful

4. Tome of Curagol - An Ogre-mage's grimoire written on human skin (Shifting runes tattooed on the cover requires the bearer save vs. Spells or insanity).  Successful save will increase influence over non-human humanoids (+2 reaction rolls, doubles any charm effects/duration on non-human humanoids), gives power of augury once per day.

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5. Ganein Codex - Illuminated parchment scroll listing of 1001 names of God.  The names glow in a holy light, and fade from visibility once read.  Anyone reading all names aloud will receive one 'boon' (roll 1d10):

1. Good Luck (+1 on all saving throws)
2. Knowledge of an ancient secret or lost relic of great power
3. Wisdom increased 1d4
4. Insanity and incapacitated, left a drooling husk of former self
5. Intelligence decreased 1d4
6. PC donates all worldly goods and walks the earth as a prophet
7. Chosen One of God, immediately attracts 3d4 fanatical followers
8. Smiter of God (+1 vs all of opposite alignment (AC/to hit/Dam/saves))
9. Struck mute
10. Struck down as a blasphemer (lightning, meteor strike, pack of wolves...)

5. The Song of Samhans - An epic poem carved into a millstone, lost and half-buried in the ruins of an abandoned halfling burrow-hold.  It recounts a legendary halfling battle against an incursion of evil into their lands. Wihtin the text are mentions of an artifact-weapon - the Staff-Sling of Peplyn - wielded by a renowned halfling sheriff and folk-hero who led a successful counter-attack and repulsion of the dark troops. The hero, and his favored weapon, disappeared some time later while he was pursuing a band of lycanthropes near the borderlands with Saydraver.  Some say it is held as a trophy by a werewolf lord.

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6.  Leaves of Sil'las - Ancient elven script on pages of beaten mithril - An elven history documenting genealogies and  place-names of elven cities lost during the advance of the Neferu Desert and the desertification of the ancestral homeland.  This record is actively sought by the Anfauglir (Plains Elves) as a relic text and resource for locating several lost cities and revered sites.

7. The Ecath'schoth - A scroll of serpent-hide housed within a case of blackened ironwood.  This scroll of forbidden rites is suspected to have lead to the downfall of a past empire - Any bearer will be branded as a heretic by most churches.  Any lawful cleric who comes in possession of the scroll will either switch alignment and become a follower of one of the Dark Gods (1/3) or immediately fall out of favor with their deity and lose all cleric abilities (2/3).

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9. The Ineydyn  - An accursed journal of a lost Vampire Lord - This blood-spattered book is sealed with a magic lock.  Attempts to open it without its single key will be unsuccessful due to the potent magics securing it.  The pages appear to be blank, but upon 'feeding' the book 1d4 HP of human blood, the text will illuminate.  The text bears clues to the location of the Denech, an accursed artifact utilized by numerous vampire lords to observe and influence several ruling families and their dynasties. Parties will make great efforts to either secure or destroy this document.  Hidden text within the book will curse any bearer to seek and use the artifact.

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10. Sihan'tldath - A book of the history of an attempted human genocide by a racist/conservative Elven faction a score of generations past.  The action was repelled and countered with the assistance of the dwarves.  Elves are still treated with distrust in spite of the faction's purge.  The book indicates the potential for surviving enclaves of the rebels and their machinations to regain power and influence within the general population.

11. The Tularmund - The documentation of the Mage overlords and their tyranny in the past ages. Retells the epics of the mage-killer knights and their divine allies who broke the wizard sects and eradicated them or drove them underground.  It describes the early pogroms and legislation against magic-users.  Hints and sigils sketched within the margins of the book may indicate the secret signs of crypto-wizard groups and surviving hidden schools.  These may be used to locate/train as a mage, or begin additional purges.  Rare factions may also seek reconciliation.

12. Quanunrion Codex - A green-covered book closed with a fine iron chain.  Within are sigils imprisoning the faerie godlet, Ksashiru, held in thrall by a sorcerer's machinations.  Smudging a sigil will summon Ksashiru for a period of one day.
She can:
Speak any language of the fey races.
Cast spells as a 5th level Illusionist.
Summon one monster up to 5HD
Any arcane spell cast in her presence will have the effect of being cast by a +2 levels higher magic user.
Improve the party's save vs. spells by +2.

There will be 3d4 sigils remaining within the book.  When the last sigil is used, Ksashiru will be released.  There is a 75% that she will take revenge on the last bearer of the book unless they atone and make sacrifices at a fey holy site within one week of the book's last use.  The individual will either be disfigured (-6 Cha), or be cursed with bad luck (-4 on all saves).

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