Fash'lo'nae's Forbidden book

Fash'lo'nae's Forbidden Book made its debut at Ebon Gate 2019 as a raffle in On Wing and Prayer. These books are zesty mundane looking objects initially found with the title "Forbidden Knowledge" written on the cover. When successfully activated via the verb READ (low success chance), the book will apply Fash'lo'nae's Gift (1750) on the user, which then allows limited access to a variety of spells. The book has a cooldown period before it automatically restores a charge.

Analyze

You analyze your leather-bound book and sense that the creator has provided the following information:

Despite the very normal appearance of a muted ochre leather-bound book, you sense that it is potentially powerful and dangerous.

Due to the nature of the book, a merchant may choose to not work on it.  Otherwise, this leather-bound book may be altered by a skilled merchant with the following restrictions:

* The noun must remain one of the following: book, tome, volume, spellbook, grimoire, codex, or prayerbook.
* LONG and SHOW descriptions are allowed but this book's appearance must remain reasonably unremarkable and ordinary.  Nothing too unusual, creepy, beautiful or attention-grabbing.
* The cover may have its title updated but must remain written in common.

This leather-bound book is currently Tier 1 of 2 and has access to the verbs: OPEN CLOSE LISTEN READ
(Tier unlock 2 adds the verbs PRAISE PUZZLE DISDAIN and confers a small bonus to READ activation success and margin.)
A very rare set of merchants may offer unlocking services for this item.

This particular book will not consume a charge for failed activation attempts. (OR: This particular book will consume a charge for any activation attempt that has a chance to succeed.)

You can tell that the book is as light as it can get.

Verb Traps

TIER	VERB	FIRST	THIRD
Tier 1	OPEN	(closed) You carefully crack open a muted ochre leather-bound book and are greeted by a mild tingling sensation behind your eyes. The feeling is both comforting and thrilling as you clutch the book protectively in your hand. (open) You press down lightly on the center binding of a muted ochre leather-bound book to ensure it remains open. As you lift your fingers from the page, you feel an unusual compulsion to protect your leather-bound book and glance around looking for sources of danger.	(closed) XXXX carefully cracks open a muted ochre leather-bound book and clutches it protectively in her hand. (open) XXXX presses down lightly on the center binding of a muted ochre leather-bound book to ensure it remains open. As she lifts her fingers from the page, she looks up and glances around with suspicion on her face.
	CLOSE	(open) You close the cover of a muted ochre leather-bound book with some reluctance. (closed) You run your fingers over the cover of a muted ochre leather-bound book as you consider how very mundane it appears. What manner of secrets could such an ordinary book hide within its pages?	(open) XXXX reluctantly closes the cover of a muted ochre leather-bound book in her hand. (closed) XXXX runs her fingers over the cover of a muted ochre leather-bound book and appears lost in deep contemplation.
	LISTEN	Your body stiffens as you focus on a muted ochre leather-bound book in your hand and reach out with your mind, willing the book to speak to you. You listen intently and feel a questioning response in your mind. The sensation sends a shiver through your body and a satisfied look crosses your face.	XXXX's body stiffens as she listens intently to her book. Although you hear nothing, XXXX twitches with a quick shiver and a satisfied look crosses her face.
	READ	(closed) The words "Forbidden Knowledge" are written on the cover of your leather-bound book. (open) You begin to read from the open page of your leather-bound book and feel an overwhelming urge to gaze directly at the esoteric symbols moving slowly across the page. As you attempt to make sense of what you see, you feel an unusual slithering sensation flow across your mind and begin to probe at your thoughts. You have the distinct feeling that if you continue to read while this presence is watching, you may unlock some magical knowledge or something truly terrible may occur. You struggle to pull your gaze away from the page long enough to consider if you should continue to read. Roundtime: 5 sec. (open success) This information is needed. (open failure) You abandon caution and allow yourself to gaze deeply at the esoteric symbols. As understanding begins to dawn on you, the presence stirs and lashes out. You attempt to resist its power... You make a horribly poor attempt! Failure! Your luck and skill are not enough to resist the assault. For a brief, terrible moment, your mind is opened to an unspeakable valence of being. You are left reeling and unable to move. You are stunned for X rounds!	(closed) No 3rd person messaging. (open) XXXX's gaze locks on to the open pages of a muted ochre leather-bound book in her hand for several seconds before she pulls away looking thoughtful. (open success) XXXX's gaze locks on to the open pages of a muted ochre leather-bound book in her hand and her body tenses in anticipation of some unseen threat. Moments later, she releases her held breath and relaxes visibly as a yellow, slit-pupil eye materializes on her forehead. Within moments, the strange symbol melds into her skin and disappears. XXXX's eyes widen with newfound knowledge. (open failure) This information is needed.
Tier 2	PRAISE	You reverently hold a muted ochre leather-bound book up for all to see as you praise its finest features to any who would listen. You are certain your admiration for the book will be felt by all within earshot! (target) You reverently hold a muted ochre leather-bound book up for XXXX to see as you praise its finest features to her. You use this opportunity to more personally express your deep admiration for your book and mentally urge the presence to reach out to XXXX.	XXXX reverently holds a muted ochre leather-bound book up for all to see as she praises its finest features to those within earshot. Her words drip with admiration for the otherwise mundane book in her hands. (target 2nd) XXXX reverently holds a muted ochre leather-bound book up to you specifically as she praises its finest features. Her words drip with admiration for the otherwise mundane book in her hands. You feel a presence briefly brush your mind but the feeling fades before you are able to confirm the source. (target 3rd) XXXX reverently holds a muted ochre leather-bound book up for XXXX to see as she praises its finest features to her and any who would listen. XXXX's words drip with admiration for the otherwise mundane book in her hands.
	PUZZLE	As you puzzle over the properties of the seemingly ordinary book, you begin to hear whispers promising of knowledge coming from every direction and yet no direction. The whispers are in your head. You stare vacantly at the leather-bound book and shake your head in disbelief.	XXXX puzzles over a muted ochre leather-bound book in her hand. Her face glazes over with a vacant expression before she shakes her head and stares at the book in disbelief.
	DISDAIN	Disapproval marks your face as you stare pointedly at a muted ochre leather-bound book in your hand. You struggle to restrain your contempt for the book and just as you consider acting on your feelings, an unnatural calmness sweeps over you.	Disapproval marks XXXX's face as she stares pointedly at a muted ochre leather-bound book in her hand. She struggles with indecision before an unnaturally calm expression creeps across her face.

Loresong

Before the song's magic fades, a presence within the volume awakens and touches your mind.  It fills you with a vision...

A bookbinder's workshop fades into view.  Stacks of books in varying degrees of progress are piled around the workshop.  A wooden contraption, strung with four sewing support cords, sits on a corner of the worktable.  In it, several gatherings have already been stitched together, but there is clearly room enough for more.  Loose gatherings rest nearby, the folded papers waiting to be stitched together to complete the book in progress.

In the center of the shop, the master bookbinder toils away on their latest project, their face and features obscured.  Their fingers work nimbly as they move a folding stick swiftly across the spine of a recently attached leather cover.  A myriad of embossing tools have been set aside to be used for embellishing the cover.  A stack of finished books sits nearby, in a plethora of varying colors, materials, and embellishments.  The title of each book remains conspicuously blank.

The vision fades and the presence falls silent.

Before the song's magic fades, a presence within the volume awakens and touches your mind.  It fills you with a vision...

The scene shifts to a room full of arcane instruments and a group of ritualists gathered around a central worktable.  Resting upon the table are the bookbinder's finished works, each without a title.  A robed individual leads the group through a complex series of spells, including a ritual of summoning.  The books are momentarily bathed in a golden yellow glow followed by a silvery grey cloud of smoke.  When the smoke clears, the books appear unchanged except for each bearing the same title: "Forbidden Knowledge."

As the ritual draws to a close, each member of the group gathers a stack of books and leaves the ritual chamber until only the leader remains alone.  She turns around to stare directly at you, as if able to sense your presence.  The ancient woman mouths the words, "You have much more to learn."  She smirks at you and leaves the chamber after the other ritualists.

The vision fades and the presence falls silent.

Before the song's magic fades, a presence within the volume awakens and touches your mind.  It fills you with a vision...

The scene shifts to one of the ritualists entering a large library.  The figure proceeds to an obscure corner, shelves one of the "Forbidden Knowledge" books, and leaves.  The scene shifts again and plays out a similar scenario but with a different ritualist and different library.  This repeats a few more times before a different scenario is presented.

A curious individual approaches one of the books, seemingly captivated by it, and touches it.  A distant look comes over their face, as they remain motionless for multiple moments.  Finally they shake their head, snapping out of the daze, and quickly pocket the book.  With a look of determination and a swift pace, the individual exits the library out into the world, their new possession securely hidden away.

The vision fades and the presence falls silent.

Technical Details

Information about the book's technical aspects still needs to be added to this page. At this time, it is known there is some manner of custom skill check utilized to activate the item and there are minimum thresholds for level and certain skills that must be met to even make an attempt. The skill check has been said to have a very low success chance and multiple failures are expected before a success.

This book was released with two distinctly noteworthy charge-loss conditions. The full/tolerant presence will only consume a charge for a successful activation. The flawed/punishing presence will consume a charge for any attempt made that could result in success. Attempts that result in automatic failure due to not meeting minimum level/skill threshold will not consume a charge.

All of the books known to be released at EG2019 were Tier 1 and had either 1) a full/tolerant presence (failures don't consume charges) that stored 1 charge and recharged after 24 hours or 2) a flawed/punishing presence (failures can consume charges) that stored 1 charge and recharged after 48 hours.

In addition, encumbrance does NOT factor into the success of the activation, which is similar to but distinct from other means of using 1750.

See Also

• Fash'lo'nae's Gift (1750)
• Gold-framed clear crystal lens
• Saved posts