Wondrous Item, artifact (requires attunement)

In the beginning, the Primordials saw that some aspects of reality were too bright while others were too dark, so they split reality into three parts, establishing the Feywild and the Shadowfell as independent mirror planes of the Prime Material plane. Everywhere, that is, except a tiny, timeless demiplane where the Material Plane, the Feywild, and the Shadowfell exist as they originally did, simultaneously as one. Few find their way here, usually by chance or fate but occasionally on purpose. It is a dangerous, unstable place, but a small town has established over the years, providing respite and protection for those that stumble in. Many are content to remain, though it is not known how to leave. A few stumble out just as they stumbled in, but most who seek to leave succumb to the whims and chaos of the original world.

This realm exists for one purpose: to contain the Tome of the Forgotten so that its knowledge does not fall into the wrong hands. This tome has existed as long as time itself; it contains all knowledge that was once known but has since been forgotten, even the secrets of the dead gods.

Random Properties

The Tome of the Forgotten has the following random properties:

  • 2 minor beneficial properties
  • 2 major beneficial properties

Spells

The tome has 16 charges. While holding it, a warden can spend 1 or more of its charges to cast the following spells from it (+10 to hit, save DC 18). A spellcaster knows these spells and may cast them as if they were for their own class without needing to prepare them. Additionally, a spellcaster may use the tome as a spellcasting focus. The tome regains 2d8 charges each day at dawn, to a maximum of 16.

Arcanum Antiquitatis

The most powerful ability of the tome by far, even beyond Wish, is the ability to recover truly lost information. While the tome is large, it is not large enough to contain all of this information. Instead of requiring any kind of search, Arcanum Antiquitatis is more about intuition and connection with the tome. The more powerful the knowledge, the deeper you have to search.

To recover lost information, the Dungeon Master chooses a duration based on how powerful the knowledge being sought is, with longer durations for more powerful information. For example, the cure to a simple curse might only take one minute, while the creation of the universe could take years. After that duration, the warden rolls a d20 and counts a 10 or better as a success, and continues searching. Only after three such successes will they have everything they seek.

Wardens

While the Tome of the Forgotten has no wardens, it rests in the Forgotten Garden, awaiting the next set of worthy heroes to claim it. The process to do so is lengthy, and tests physical and mental prowess, rewarding those with an earnest desire for knowledge, and smiting those who would seek personal gain. When it is claimed from the garden, all those present become its wardens. They each benefit from its passive traits as long as they retain their title, though the active abilities may only be used by a warden who is in possession of the tome.

A warden may give up their title at any point, as long as they are acting sincerely and not under duress. Under the same conditions and with the consent of the other extant wardens, they may also pass their title to another. The tome may only have as many wardens as it had when it was found last, but any vacancies may be filled by unanimous consent of those that remain.

If at any point there are no current wardens, the tome immediately vanishes and returns to its resting spot in the Forgotten Garden, awaiting the next set of worthy heroes to claim it.

Destroying the Tome

The existence of the Tome of the Forgotten is inherently tied to reality and can’t be destroyed as long as the realms exist. It can, however, be released back to the garden by unanimous consent of all its wardens.

dmyetti

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