Vacuous grimoire

Vacuous grimoires were a type of cursed books, or sometimes scrolls.

Description
Items cursed to become vacuous grimoires were indistinguishable from the mundane. When a vacuous grimoire was placed among other books, it instantly transformed to be indistinguishable from tomes surrounding it.

Abilities
Any creature capable of reading was a target for vacuous grimoires. Once opened, it took a single glyph, or a single symbol read to trigger a book's vile magics. Two separate cursed effects took place. Firstly, the target could lose part of their mind, suffering an intelligence drain. Secondly, there was a strong chance for them to suffer a loss of sagacity. Both of these effects were permanent.

Once activated, a vacuous grimoire did not lose its powers nor disintegrate. Instead, it remained dangerous and active. The only way of destroying such tome was cleansing it with a remove curse spell and then burning it with normal or magical flames.

Vacuous grimoires emitted a faint aura of magic when observed via the detect magic spell.

Creation
A vacuous grimoire could be created by a capable crafter of wondrous items via application of the feeblemind spell.

History
Circa the, a vacuous grimoire scroll could be found in the Master's Library of Krak al-Niraan, the citadel of the Brotherhood of the True Flame in the Weeping Desert.

Circa the, another cursed vacuous grimoire was disguised to be the second diary volume of Lord Ulguth Ilvastarr II of Waterdeep. Both tomes of the diary were hidden in the Ilvastarr family vault.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Dungeon #43: "Into the Silver Realm" • A Dozen and One Adventures • City of Splendors: Waterdeep: "Ilvastarr Vault"
 * Card Games