Imaskarcana

The Imaskarcana were a collection of artifacts said to be the most powerful ever created by the artificers of Imaskar. Though some considered the Imaskarcana to be tomes, they were in fact a number of different devices of different forms, each storing the lore of the empire in some form.

Per some sources, despite being called the Seven Imaskarcana, the Imaskarcana were not created at the same time, but centuries apart and, in fact, their true names had been lost. Per other sources, the Imaskarcana were created on the orders of Lord Artificer Omanond in −3891 DR..

Description
The First Imaskarcana was a large, crudely wrought crown of lavender-tinted metal set with a single star sapphire.

The Third Imaskarcana was a great tome bound in slate covers, lined in blue dragon hide, with pages of ragged vellum, crystal magically given the flexibility of paper without its weaknesses, and even the skins of humans, elves, and tanar'ri.

The Fifth Imaskarcana was a scepter, pitted and battered in appearance, about in length set with a fist-sized amethyst.

The Seventh Imaskarcana resembled a large, golden key.

Powers
The First Imaskarcana held the collected knowledge of the empire's lord artificers, though it would never engage in conversation, responding only to direct questions with brief answers.

The Third Imaskarcana could not be read, and instead would answer questions posed to it once per day.

The Fifth Imaskarcana contained the entire military history of the Imaskar from onward.

The Seventh Imaskarcana held the entire body of Imaskari knowledge about creating permanent extradimensional spaces.

In addition to these powers, all of the Imaskarcana provided some measure of resistance against magic and allowed the user to employ several spells. All commands to the Imaskarcana had to be spoken in Roushoum, the language of the Imaskari Empire. If addressed in a different language, the Imaskarcana would retaliate with powerful magic.

History
Per some sources, the First Imaskarcana was reported to have been created by an ancient Lord Artificer about 9000 years before 1372 DR. The Fifth Imaskarcana was created some five centuries later. However, later sources dated the creation of all of the Imaskarcana to.

Lord Dimarond, the last general of Imaskar, wielded the Fifth Imaskarcana when he was defeated outside the city by Mulan glorious servitors. Lord Artificer Yuvaraj wore the First Imaskarcana in battle against the manifested god Horus in at Inupras, where he perished. He was also said to have been wielding a fabled tome of the Imaskarcana, probably the Third. One year later, Imaskari refugees headed for the Underdark, bringing the Third Imaskarcana with them.

As of 1372 DR, one of the Imaskarcana was preserved in Deep Imaskar. It was probably not the Third Imaskarcana, which was in the possession of Gduar. In the same year, the Seventh Imaskarcana was possibly recovered by Tyaral, a priest of Bhaal, from a ruin known as Maskana, which had been leveled by the Mulhorandi to build an outpost atop it. Deep Imaskari records at the time suggested the Fourth Imaskarcana was within the city of Raudor at the time of its fall. The artifact was said to lie hidden within the ruins of Raudor still in 1479 DR.

Legends
The Imaskarcana were often portrayed as tomes, even amongst the Deep Imaskari, though they were several different devices.

According to The Lore of Omanond, a book in the Purple Library of Deep Imaskar, it had only been possible to create the Imaskarcana because of a compact with an extraplanar race.

Notable Owners

 * Lord Yuvaraj
 * Lord Dimarond
 * Gduar
 * Tyaral (possibly)