Tome of Life and Death

Bound in a cover of magically shaped bone with the faceplate of a skull on the front, this tome is clearly an artifact of evil. A powerful sense of death and despair washes over any who hold it.
Legend claims this foul text was authored by Orcus, the demon lord of undeath. Its purpose was both to achieve apotheosis, and grant mortals greater powers in necromancy that they may bring death to one another.
The story goes that before Orcus could use it, it was stolen by Nightshade, the god of stealth and subterfuge in an act of mischief. It was then stolen from him by an unknown party and unleashed upon the Twin Worlds.
It appeared here and there throughout history, usually in the hands of a necromancer committing horrible deeds. Then, without warning or fanfare, it simply disappeared.
It was rediscovered centuries later in a vault beneath the Imperial Library in the City of the Sun Dragon in Jinto. At the command of the emperor, the court wizard, Koto Takasuro was studying it to use its power for the empire.
He was only beginning to understand the knowledge within when a portal opened in his lab. Out of this gate stepped an ultraloth who identified himself as The Sovereign. The fiend overpowered him and took the tome for himself.
As the tome was primarily created for fiendish hands, the knowledge came quickly to The Sovereign. He discovered Orcus's ritual, and made the preparations for his own ascension to godhood.

Significance

This tome is a source of incredible power, and evil, forbidden knowledge. It is said that within lies the rituals required to enslave souls, raise armies, and twist the bodies of the dead into stronger, more powerful forms. Also found within is the secret of the vile transformation of lichdom, and a ritual that allows a fiend of sufficient power to become a god. Only those with the blackest of hearts are capable of understanding these revelations.

Item type

Unique Artifact

Current Holder

The Sovereign

Rarity

Unique

Weight

40 lbs

Dimensions

10" wide x 16" long x 6" deep

Base Price

Priceless