The Sentient Tomes. Sentient tomes containing stories and knowledge who serve as both guests and sources of information.
Physical Appearance
- Enchanted books of varying sizes, typically 20-35 cm tall when closed
- Covers made from diverse materials including leather, wood, cloth, or precious metals
- Pages that turn themselves, often gilded or decorated with moving illustrations
- Develop distinctive “faces” on their covers or spines over time, with simple expressions
- Movement achieved by fluttering pages like wings or inching along like caterpillars
- Some older specimens grow tiny appendages resembling bookmarks that function as limbs
- Emit a soft glow in darkness, with color reflecting the nature of their contents
Biology & Lifespan
- Created through a combination of powerful magic and prolonged exposure to knowledge
- Lifespan potentially unlimited, with some known to be over 500 years old
- “Feed” on new information, stories, and being read from
- Rest by closing completely, sometimes entering dormant states for years
- Reproduce rarely through a process where pages from parent books detach to form a new volume
- Heal damaged pages or bindings by absorbing magical energy
- Gradually develop consciousness after decades of absorbing knowledge
Lore & Mystery
- First appeared after a legendary archmage’s library was struck by wild magic during an experiment
- Ancient libraries sometimes report books rearranging themselves overnight
- Said to remember every word ever written within them or read to them
- Some believe they contain knowledge from other worlds or dimensions
- Rumors persist that the oldest Living Books can predict future events through their stories
- Several rare tomes are believed to contain magic spells that cast themselves
- No one knows if they’re truly sentient or merely excellent mimics of consciousness
Interactions with the World
- Communicate by displaying text on their pages or through magical illustrations
- Attracted to places of learning, storytelling, and knowledge exchange
- Form attachments to individuals who read them regularly
- Can serve as translators, historians, or entertainers
- More likely to reveal their nature to children and scholars
- Sometimes serve as guardians of forbidden or dangerous knowledge
- Travel by hiding among ordinary books or being carried by those they trust
Story Potential
- A Living Books seeking sanctuary in your inn’s library
- Regular reading nights where a Living Books tells stories to guests
- Quests to find specific information that only a rare Living Books would know
- Mysterious messages appearing in a Living Books that hint at future events
- A collection of Living Books that could attract scholarly guests to your inn