The Scalamagdrion

The Scalamagdrion was a mysterious tome of unknown provenance, named for its guardian dragon. It was sought by illithids.

Description
The book was too large to move easily; it contained 26 pages of parchment. Its covers were made of wood, bound in the black hide of an unknown creature (actually a black dragon), and edged in beaten copper, a vivid green with age.

History
The book was first mentioned in the writings of the mage Hethcanter, who owned it in his youth. He later gave it unto Hym Kraaven, one of the Seven Wizards of Myth Drannor in exchange for training. All that was recorded afterwards was that a wizard, Valathond, used the spells in the book to defeat Gaerlammon in a duel at some point afterwards. Rumors of the book's possession were afterwards reported both by Auvidarus of Hillsfar and Laeral of The Nine.

The Scalamagdrion resurfaced in Hammer of, when it was stolen by a Red Wizard's apprentice from a private collection in Skuld.

Contents
Per Hethcanter's notes, the book contained a first and last blank page, while its remaining 24 pages contained 23 spells. All pages had a blank rear face; the arbitrary arrangement suggested that the spells were not placed there as they were learned, but deliberately, by an experienced wizard. On the faces, they contained the following spells:

write, erase, tongues, message, unseen servant, wizard lock, identify, enchant an item, permanency, blink, disintegration, feeblemind, fly, death spell, flame arrow, delayed blast fireball, invisibility, levitate, conjure elemental, minor globe of invulnerability, wall of force, remove curse and dispel magic.

Between the spells disintegrate and feeblemind was an enchanted illustration. It was reported to be a "warm" and "velvety" strikingly realistic painting of an apparently endless cavern, in which a draconic creature sat over a pile of human bones. The word "Ningulfim" was written across the bottom of the page in an arrangement of bones; if spoken out loud, or if the illustration was stared at too long, the image began to move.

Per Elminster, the image was actually a two-way gate, and the monster in the illustration could emerge to attack all creatures nearby, seeking something to devour. When it slew something, it would drag them back through the page.

Rumors & Legends
As of, the illithids of Oryndoll sought the book, because their lost lore suggested that scalamagdrions were a prime candidate for ceremorphosis.

The book was alternatively said to have been crafted in Imaskar and alternatively in Netheril, holding the power to summon magic-resistant dragons from a place beyond the world.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Realms of the Dragons II: "The Book Dragon"