Editing Nameless Things (section)

==== Tomes of Dark Lore ====

[[File:Book_Table.jpg|left|500px]]
There exist certain tomes - they may be books or scrolls, clay tablets or thin metal plates - filled with dark lore and terrible truths about the world. These tomes can impart terrible knowledge and unnatural power to mortals who read them, but there is always a cost.

A tome may be used in two ways: by '''skimming''' it, or by '''studying''' it. Both require the reader to be conversant with the language used.

''Skimming'' a tome involves looking through it for relevant information and reading occasional passages. This process takes approximately four hours and requires a roll of either Research or the Language the tome is written in, whichever is lower. By default, a success provides a general overview of the tome’s topic; a raise also suggests what sort of spells it contains.

Alternatively, a tome may be skimmed for specific information. In this case, the reader must specify what information they are seeking, and they glean one useful fact about that topic per success and raise. On a failure they learn nothing. This presumes the information they seek is in the tome; if it is not this roll automatically fails. Rerolls are allowed, with additional time spent and more information gained only if it exists in the tome.

''Studying'' a tome requires a number of weeks, the exact duration listed with each tome. This assumes the reader can devote several hours each day to reading, taking notes, and otherwise analyzing the information in the tome. Studying a tome requires no rolls, but the reader must be fluent in the language used (d8 or higher in the relevant Language skill). If the reader’s Language is d6, the time required is doubled; it is tripled if the Language is only d4.

At the end of this period of studying, the reader has absorbed and understood the information contained in the tome. Their Morgal skill increases by one rank (with a corresponding reduction of their maximum Sanity), and they are aware of any spells contained in the tome, although spells must be learned separately. Depending on the precise nature of the tome other information may be gained as well, such as a bonus or a reroll on certain Academics specializations.